Skidmore College
OP-8: Sustainable Dining
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.00 / 2.00 |
Levi
Rogers Director of Sustainability Programs and Assessment Sustainability Office |
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a farmers market, community supported agriculture (CSA) or fishery program, or urban agriculture project, or support such a program in the local community?:
A brief description of the farmers market, CSA or urban agriculture project:
Saratoga CSA: Students, staff, and faculty may sign up for the 12-week Saratoga CSA, which is fulfilled by 9 Miles East Farm. Those who sign up for the CSA pick up their share of fresh, local produce every Friday between 3-5 p.m. in the Dining Hall atrium. About 100 CSA shares are purchased by students, faculty, and staff each year.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host a sustainability-themed food outlet on-site, either independently or in partnership with a contractor or retailer?:
A brief description of the sustainability-themed food outlet:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor support disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through its food and beverage purchasing?:
A brief description of the support for disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
Skidmore has established partnerships with many local vendors and farms. Recently, we established a purchasing partnership with Pitney Meadow Community Farm, a new community farm located in Saratoga Springs. Skidmore was one of the first institutions to commit to purchasing food from the farm in its first season, providing the community organization with income certainty.
Estimated percentage of total food and beverage expenditures on products from disadvantaged businesses, social enterprises, and/or local SMEs:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor host low impact dining events or promote plant-forward options?:
A brief description of the low impact dining events and/or plant-forward options:
Every Wednesday, Skidmore Dining Services hosts Low-Impact Dining Day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus are adapted to serve more local and seasonal foods. We also aim to reduce meat protein offerings by 60-70%. The meats offered during Low-Impact Dining days are sourced from local family farms. Students promote the effort by posting informational signage throughout the dining hall and host a table at the dining hall entrance. Signage and outreach efforts indicate the source of menu items, labeling standards and definitions, food justice issues, nutrition facts, and more.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a vegan dining program that makes diverse, complete-protein vegan options available to every member of the campus community at every meal?:
A brief description of the vegan dining program:
Skidmore offers diverse, complete protein vegan and vegetarian options at every meal. Emily's garden, a station in the Murray-Aikins Dining Hall, serves only vegetarian and vegan options.
Skidmore Dining Services will amend menus for known dietary restrictions and preferences, and Skidmore provides a small kitchen where students can prepare their own meals for specific allergy or dietary needs.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor inform customers about low impact food choices and sustainability practices through labelling and signage in dining halls?:
A brief description of the sustainability labelling and signage in dining halls:
Facts and information are posted in the Dining Hall to inform customers of the source and certifications of foods being served. Dining Services also publishes information about the College's sustainable food efforts and recommends practices to minimize food waste and encourage more sustainable eating habits.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor participate in a competition or commitment program and/or use a food waste prevention system to track and improve its food management practices?:
A brief description of the food recovery competition or commitment program or food waste prevention system:
Skidmore participated in the 2018 EPA Food Recovery Challenge and was recognized as a regional winner for its efforts to reduce food waste.
The College also conducts post-consumer food waste audits in our Dining Hall multiple times a year, including a very comprehensive week-long pre- and post-consumer food waste audit every 3-4 years.
Food waste audits are typically conducted in two parts. First, a blind post-consumer audit is completed in the "back of the house" to determine how much food waste is generated each day. Then, students announce the results of the audit and challenge diners to change their habits to reduce food waste. Finally, we conduct a secondary food waste audit in the "front of the house" to engage diners in conversation about the impact of our food choices, food insecurity and access issues, and the GHG emissions generated by food waste.
Has the institution or its primary dining services contractor implemented trayless dining (in which trays are removed from or not available in dining halls) and/or modified menus/portions to reduce post-consumer food waste?:
A brief description of the trayless dining or modified menu/portion program:
The trayless program in the dining hall began in 2006 and has significantly reduced food waste, saved thousands of gallons of water and cleaning supplies, energy, as well as curbing over consumption. Other efforts include attention to serving size, where dining staff use scales and portion controlled scoops and spoons. We also pre-plate meals as much as possible on five-inch plates to control waste and to suggest an appropriate balance of protein, vegetables, and starch.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor donate food that would otherwise go to waste to feed people?:
A brief description of the food donation program:
FeedMore is a hunger-relief program that collects surplus food from the Skidmore dining hall and delivers it to local soup kitchens and food pantries. Students-leaders organize donation drop-offs several times each week, and the program continues into the summer with the support of Dining Services staff. The program donates thousands of pounds to local organizations each year.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor divert food materials from the landfill, incinerator or sewer for animal feed or industrial uses?:
A brief description of the food materials diversion program:
A certified contractor collects the College's waste cooking oil for conversion to biodiesel.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a pre-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the pre-consumer composting program:
All pre-consumer food waste is collected and composted by a hired contractor. We divert over 10,000 pounds of food scraps from the landfill each month through this program.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor have a post-consumer composting program?:
A brief description of the post-consumer composting program:
Dining Services post-consumer composting program is limited to coffee grounds because of infrastructure and permitting constraints. Coffee grounds from all campus dining locations are collected and composted in Skidmore's student-run compost program.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor utilize reusable service ware for “dine in” meals?:
A brief description of the reusable service ware program:
The Murray-Aikins Dining Hall and the Spa, our a-la-carte dining center, use reusable service ware.
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor provide reusable and/or third party certified compostable containers and service ware for “to-go” meals (in conjunction with an on-site composting program)?:
A brief description of the compostable containers and service ware:
Does the institution or its primary dining services contractor offer discounts or other incentives to customers who use reusable containers instead of disposable or compostable containers in “to-go” food service operations?:
A brief description of the reusable container discount or incentives program:
Anyone with a reusable mug receives a 25-cent discount on beverage refills. This discount is available at all three campus cafes ( Atrium Cafe, Burgess Cafe, and The Spa). The Spa also offers a 25-cent discount for diners that choose to use a plate over a disposable to-go container.
A brief description of other sustainability-related initiatives not covered above:
Website URL where information about the sustainable dining programs is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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.