Wellesley College
OP-7: Low Impact Dining

We track these items through our vendors and inventory and calculate our purchases each semester.

In all five main dining halls at every meal, there are vegan options available. Everyday in the Lulu Chow Wang dining room, there is a raw food station, where a high protein, raw vegan meal is prepared using fresh ingredients. One of our dining halls, Pomeroy, is completely kosher and vegetarian, so there are many high-protein, hot vegan options there as well. There is also a hot vegan station at Tower dining hall, and all cafeterias have fully stocked salad bars, which are mostly vegan and contain beans, lentils, legumes, tofu, and seeds for high protein sources. Dining services serves plain whole grains everyday such as brown rice, millet, quinoa, cous-cous, and whole wheat pasta. Every other day the dining halls serve delicious and popular vegan brownies for a dessert option. Additionally, there is a red serving spoon to signify if a food is vegan.

AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS Annually, Dining Services sponsors events on campus highlighting local produce, seafood, products, and other sustainable items. In the fall, a harvest dinner is held featuring locally grown produce. In the spring on Earth Day a vendor fair is held. Farmers, fisherman, and local companies are featured on campus. They are able to show their products and answer students' questions. Interactive stations are also available during this event featuring activities such as making your own beauty products and herb plantings. LOCAL PURCHASING Dining Services (through AVI Fresh) has an ongoing initiative to purchase items locally. Some of the current farms and local businesses from whom we are purchasing are: Highlawn Farms, Garelick, Sushi Sushi, Iggy's, and Spindrift among many others. SUSTAINABLE MEAT We purchase most of our beef and pork products through Niman Ranch. This is a network of independent American farmers and ranchers that use all natural, sustainable, and humane farming practices. The products are hormone, antibiotic, and nitrate free. RESPONSIBLE SEAFOOD PURCHASING All seafood purchased is either local or Marine Stewardship Council Certified. RED’S BEST SEAFOOD PROGRAM A small fleet of boats on Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod that responsibly harvest local fish GULF OF MAINE RESEARCH INSTITUTE CERTIFIED One of two College dining programs currently in New England that have taken the lead with GMRI to ensure that seafood is being responsibly and sustainably harvested PURCHASING GUIDELINES - SUPPLIERS As we procure products and services, suppliers are asked to carefully look for ways we can minimize our environmental impact. Product reengineering to reduce packaging. Different distribution points. Reusable transportation containers. Utilizing sustainable ingredients and methods. Concentrated products to lessen manufacturing and transportation resources. Working with transportation providers to minimize travel of products. Providing options for purchase of organic and environmentally friendly products. Providing solutions with recyclable packaging or content. Providing our procurement managers with electronic files instead of hard-copy books for products.