University of Montana
OP-8: Sustainable Dining

UM Campus Dining hosts a workplace CSA program that provides students, faculty, and staff an opportunity to purchase CSA shares through the Western Montana Growers' Cooperative with a pickup location in the University Center (UC) on main campus. The WMGC provides produce grown by over 30 small farmers around western Montana, plus optional cheese, meat, egg, and bread add-ons. UM employees have the option of signing up for payroll deduction when they purchase their CSA share.

In addition to the WMGC CSA operating on campus, UM runs its own small market garden on a half acre less than 1 mile from main campus. The garden focuses on regenerative growing practices and includes a diversified garden, orchard, apiary, and three egg-laying Muscovy ducks. 

The Washington Grizzly Stadium offers a concessions stand totally centered around sustainable Farm-to-College (FTC) products. The stand serves two headline burgers made from locally raised and butchered KOP beef, locally-produced BBQ sauce, and cheese from a local creamery, as well as all-beef hotdogs from a Montana-owned and operated processor.

UM Campus Dining supports over 65 local suppliers, growers, and processors whose products we use at all levels of production. Some of the producers we work with directly and others through the Western Montana Growers' Cooperative. We are proud to source major staple items such as fryer oil, beef products, milk (both cow and oat) for our coffee chops all from local/regional producers. We also purchase compost and manure for our gardens from these local producers. Even when we cannot buy foods locally, we continue to prioritize shorter supply chains, smaller brands, and more sustainable choices.

UM Campus Dining offers plant-forward and vegan options in all dining units. In our main dining hall, main line offerings include only one meat-containing entrée, with all remaining dishes being vegetarian or vegan. A second vegetarian/vegan entrée is always offered as well, and a vegan chili is served every day. An example service spread: Griddled sausage and peppers (a primarily sausage dish with bell peppers and red onion), Kung Pao chickpeas with peanuts (vegan, 10g protein/serving), roasted broccoli, roasted winter veggies, baked sweet potatoes, Wheat Montana wheat rolls, and jasmine rice. Our allergy-friendly station is also vegan. Our coffee operations all serve four vegan milk options as well as vegan baked goods and our catering menu provides vegan options. Vegan options are available to all, but students who struggle to maintain a vegan diet can take advantage of free nutrition counseling to support nutritious vegan eating choices. 

UM Campus Dining offers plant-forward and vegan options in all dining units. In our main dining hall, main line offerings include only one meat-containing entrée, with all remaining dishes being vegetarian or vegan. A second vegetarian/vegan entrée is always offered as well, and a vegan chili is served every day. An example service spread: Griddled sausage and peppers (a primarily sausage dish with bell peppers and red onion), Kung Pao chickpeas with peanuts (vegan, 10g protein/serving), roasted broccoli, roasted winter veggies, baked sweet potatoes, Wheat Montana wheat rolls, and jasmine rice. Our allergy-friendly station is also vegan. Our coffee operations all serve four vegan milk options as well as vegan baked goods and our catering menu provides vegan options. Vegan options are available to all, but students who struggle to maintain a vegan diet can take advantage of free nutrition counseling to support nutritious vegan eating choices. 

UM Campus Dining venues spotlight local and sustainable vendors as well as meals and ingredients that meet dietary specifications. Local vendors are noted on catering menus and on signage in our bakery cases in our coffee and retail operations. 

The Lodge Dining Hall uses the LeanPath food waste tracking system to keep track of pre-consumer food waste. We have been using LeanPath since 2016. UM Dining transitioned to trayless dining in 2008 and hasn't looked back. All food that is prepped for meals gets weighed by chefs and compared to post-consumer food waste weights. All organics and food waste from the kitchen and cafeteria are composted with Missoula Compost Collection, a local alumni-owned business that takes compostable materials to our city-owned industrial compost facility.

During Earth Week 2008, in an effort to reduce waste, save money and promote healthy eating, UM Dining Services turned their main dining facility, the Food Zoo, into a trayless facility. Without trays, students generally take less food, and therefore, waste less! In one week: Before Trayless - 3148 lbs After Trayless - 2376 lbs. This switch was made before we opened our new dining hall, The Lodge, in fall 2024.

UM Dining donates more than 20,000 lbs. of leftover food to the Missoula Food Circle every year. The Food Circle is a food recovery program organized by the Missoula Food Bank. The Food Circle safely collects excess prepared and perishable food from local establishments. Volunteers repackage and distribute the food to people in need and local non-profit agencies. Additionally, in 2024 UM Campus Dining partnered with our on-campus food pantry to create a "Catering Cupboard." The program notifies food insecure students via text when catered events have leftover food that is available for student consumption. 

All pre-consumer food waste from the Lodge Dining Hall (primary campus cafeteria) and from UM Catering is composted. Additionally, all coffee grounds from campus are composted. Food waste is collected in the kitchens and then picked up by Missoula Compost Collection and composted at Garden City Compost.

All food waste, including pre- and post-consumer food waste from the Lodge Dining Hall is picked up by Missoula Compost Collection and taken to Garden City Compost in Missoula. Coffee grounds from our coffee shops on campus are taken to the PEAS Farm to be composted and the school receives finished compost in return.

On March 1, 2021, UM launched a post-consumer composting program in the University Center Food Court. Over the last 3 years, post-consumer compost containers have been added to our entire student union building (where a lot of food retailers are located), Rise + Rooted (a UM-owned coffee shop, pizze oven, and convenience store), and two academic buildings. We are adding additional compost containers to our library in fall 2024 as well as the law school.

UM's main dining hall uses completely reusable serviceware, including the reusable to-go clamshell containers issued to students. Our reusable to-go program requires a $5 deposit from students in exchange for a green plastic container for any of their dining hall meals. UM Campus Dining's other sit-down location, the Iron Griz, also features only reusable serviceware. 

Reusable to-go containers are available to students for a $5 fee. UM Campus Dining washes the containers and provides a steady supply of sanitized containers for exchange. The majority of our to-go containers and utensils are 100% compostable. As we have expanded our post-consumer composting program beyond the UC, we have been able to make the commitment to purchasing exclusively compostable containers. Coca-Cola supplies us with compostable straws, cups, and lids as well, eliminating one more source of single-use plastic from our campus waste stream.

All dining facilities offer reusable mug discounts on coffee. Customers present their mugs to get the discount. 

UM, as part of the Montana State University system, is included in the health and wellness incentive program offered to all state employees. This program includes nutrition workshops, menu planning, and fitness goals and challenges. UM Campus Dining regularly offers meal options that are culturally diverse and provide educational opportunities to customers. This includes special events and meals that accompany religious or spiritual holidays, Native American foods and cultures, and supporting the International Food Festival each spring. The Lodge Dining Hall features a rotating menu of culturally diverse food options.