Overall Rating Silver - expired
Overall Score 54.13
Liaison Keisha Payson
Submission Date July 11, 2013
Executive Letter Download

STARS v1.2

Bowdoin College
OP-6: Food and Beverage Purchasing

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 4.08 / 6.00 Keisha Payson
Sustainability Coordinator
Facilities Mgmt
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Percentage of food expenditures that meet one or more of the criteria for this credit (0 - 100):
34
+ Date Revised: Dec. 19, 2013

A brief description of the sustainable food and beverage purchasing program:

Bowdoin Dining Service operates two dining halls, three cash operations and provides campus catering service. Our purchasing staff includes a Sourcing and Menu Manager and three purchasers. Our main-line food distributor is PFG-Northcenter, but this is not an exclusive relationship and we utilize many local vendors including Oakhurst Dairy for our milk, juice and cheese products.
We have a large campus organic garden, which is operated by our department and managed by a full time seasonal garden manager.
Our purchasing policies seek to promote a sustainable economy in Maine and New England. Bowdoin Dining makes all reasonable efforts to utilize affordably priced local and renewable products that reflect the College's commitment to sustainability.
We are committed to a strong relationship with Farm Fresh Connections (FFC), a company born of a program of the Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society that coordinates the sale of food from farms to institutions (colleges and hospitals) in south-central Maine.
We are committed to the oversight and coordination of an agriculturally and financially sustainable Bowdoin Organic Garden project. We will continue to provide funding, equipment and labor to help ensure its continued viability and success.
We are committed to strengthening ties to our local communities by utilizing local businesses and services whenever possible.
We are committed that a selection criterion for all contracted vendors is a consideration of their environmental practices and record.
We are committed to considering environmental factors when purchasing new or replacement equipment.



The Website URL where information about the institution's sustainable food and beverage purchasing efforts is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Local food purchases of total food purchases:
Grown: 16.4%
Purchased within 250 miles: 34%

3rd party certified organic of total food purchases:
Separate Numbers (non-local organic): .65%
Overlap (local + organic): 2.1%
Total: 2.75%


Local food purchases of total food purchases:
Grown: 16.4%
Purchased within 250 miles: 34%

3rd party certified organic of total food purchases:
Separate Numbers (non-local organic): .65%
Overlap (local + organic): 2.1%
Total: 2.75%

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.