Sodexo Intern Update #6: Honey & local greens

The Commons is now generally serving a “minimal meat Monday” menu on the classics line and healthy choice line for dinner. It is not advertised as such, but it is part of the goal to be more sustainable by using less meat-intensive meals. There has also been an increase in vegan foods and labeling them as such, which is fantastic for individuals who prefer not to eat animal products. 

On the other side of that, the EGOR honey that was in the Commons at the beginning of the semester has been replaced with another local honey source: Henry’s Honey in Redgranite, WI. Here is a link to their Facebook page if you want more information: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Henrys-Honey-Farm/170454659631298.

 

In terms of sustainability, the Commons featured an educational campaign in the hopes of reducing straw usage as unnecessary waste in some cases. The straws are still available at the cashier’s stand, but are less accessible, and so individuals need to consciously make the decision to use a straw rather than do so out of habit. Also, Sodexo is part of the Recyclemania challenge and the campus “We proudly serve Starbucks” has a punch card program where after buying 10 drinks with a reusable mug, you get the 11^th free. You win and so does the environment! 

Projects that are currently being worked on include how to include more local produce into the menu and also considering the possibility of incorporating some seasonal foods either more or less into the offerings according to the season. In a future blog, look for the results of a 14 for ’14 grant (through the President’s Office) that I wrote to increase food sustainability on campus. This is another project that is currently being worked on; but more on that later!

Sodexo intern update #5: composting, local food, and honey in The Commons

Hello again, and I apologize for the delay between this blog post and the last; the environmental scene in Ripon has been keeping me busy.

First thing to cover is that I went to speak at the Ripon city council on November 12^th 2013 to ask for an exemption for educational institutions from the current composting ordinance, which only allows residential composting. The council was receptive to my proposal, and an exception is currently being written to be approved by the city council at a later date. More updates on that in the future, but for now, I am hopeful that Ripon College can begin composting on campus in the spring of 2014.

Additionally, there was a meeting at Fraser Farms, hosted by Dennis and Mary Meyer, to discuss the possibility of a partnership between Ripon College and GrowSureEase. For this meeting, we toured the greenhouse that GrowSureEase uses to grow vegetables during the winter months and saw the different types of plants that he is currently growing there. Then we went to the Meyer’s Christmas tree farm, where we had a delicious vegetarian lunch prepared by Mary that featured fresh greens from their greenhouse and hot apple cider pressed from the apple trees that are on the property. After the fantastic local meal, those in attendance (including President Messitte, Mrs. Messitte, Dean Ogle, Sarjit Singh, and Samara Hamzé) listened to Dennis’s proposal and began a dialogue on the potential for this relationship in the future. Nothing concrete was decided, but it began a discussion about the role of local food on our campus and the importance of connections between the college and community businesses.
Also on the topic of composting, a total of 32 5-gallon buckets of organic material were removed from the Sodexo kitchen in October to be composted at Fraser Farms, with 28 buckets collected during November, and 28.5 buckets in September. So, our total for the fall of 2013 is 442.5 gallons of compostable materials prevented from going to the landfill. (Note: We will temporarily be stopping the collection of compostable materials, since we have no way to continue composting during the cold months, especially now that there is snow on the ground. This is something that we hope to correct in the future, but as of now we are unable to do so.)

One other noteworthy event was the introduction of honey produced by the EGOR hives into the Pickard Commons. Look for it and the sign on the east end of the Commons near the beverages. Also at the beverage stand is the lack of plastic straws that have been replaced with a sign informing students and staff about the negative environmental impact of plastic straws, which are still available at the checker’s stand, but are less accessible, so people make a conscious decision to use or not use a straw.

As the semester winds down, planning for next semester begins, so look forward to the reappearance on minimal-meat Mondays occasionally in the Commons. And stay tuned for more updates on composting and upcoming projects.

Sodexo intern update #4: compost, milk carton recycling

I have not written any blog posts in a while since there have not been any major updates lately; so here are a few that have accumulated over the past two weeks.

Firstly, composting within the city limits of Ripon can only occur on residential properties, according to the current city ordinance. This is an obstacle to allowing us to compost here on the college campus, but the situation is being addressed. Hopefully there can be some modification to the current ordinance or we can get an exception to begin composting here in the near future. Stay tuned for future updates on this issue!

Secondly, in researching what can be recycled (because of a question I was asked by a cook in the Commons kitchen,) I found out that soymilk containers and regular milk cartons can be recycled in the single-stream recycling we have on campus. Signs will be going up in the Terrace, and most likely the Pub, to reflect this and to encourage students to recycle more.

Lastly, in the month of September, there were 29 buckets of compost brought to Fraser Farm for composting. Since each of the buckets holds 5 gallons, 145 gallons of organic materials were diverted to composting rather than going to a landfill this past month. While I have no data in terms of pounds per bucket, I guess that the average weight would be around 25 pounds per bucket (since I carry most of the buckets) that amounts to somewhere around 725 pounds of fruits and vegetable scraps that did not go to a landfill. That's something we can feel good about.

That’s it for now. Questions and comments appreciated! 

Sodexo Intern update #2

This past week, I spent time visiting the Pub and the Terrace to see what they are doing to make the dining areas on campus as sustainable as possible. Both the Pub and Terrace, which are fast-food style locations, send out a fair amount of waste via transport containers for the food they serve. This, in many ways, is unavoidable, but the environmental impact can be minimized via the materials used to make these containers. An example of this: the large salad containers in the Terrace and the condimentcups in the Pub are currently compostable. In addition, both locations produce minimal waste since they are designed to be self-serve and made-to-order dining locations. Both locations recycle cardboard and other recyclables, such as metal cans.

In regards to the Commons, I visited the GrowSureEase (aka Fraser Farms) to talk with the owner, Dennis Meyer, about the composting collaboration between the Sodexo kitchen on campus and his farm. Organic waste (mainly the scraps from fruits and vegetables) are collected in 5-gallon buckets around the Commons’ kitchen and stored before being transported to farm once a week or so. Their operation has several compost piles that are turned to meet standards for organic food and then used in the fertilization of their plants. Fraser Farm has two greenhouses, three beehives, and several types of plants growing outdoors. It is a great place to visit and buy local produce!

In continuation, the Commons is continuing to improve recycling efforts, with the use of four designated and labeled recycling bins (with clear plastic bags to arrive soon). A paper recycling bin was also added to the office area in the Commons to increase recycling in the offices, and a system for recycling the aerosol cans (for non-stick purposes) used in the kitchen has been implemented in cooperation with the Plant department.

In other news, check out the next edition of the College Days (our campus paper) for more sustainability tips and news. There is an article by yours truly on tips to being more environmentally friendly. Until next time!

Links in order:

http://www.hoffmaster.com/OurProducts/EarthWiseTreeFree.aspx

https://www.facebook.com/pages/GrowSureEase-LLC/201411256574802

Update from Sodexo sustainability intern

Check out the update on sustainability in The Commons.  Sodexo intern, Kaitlyn Welzen, writes about initiatives already in place:  recycled napkins, fair-trade tea and coffee, trayless service; as well as programs under way:  composting and worker education and purchase of local, organic food in The Commons, and a Campus Farmers Market.  She has several opportunities for student involvement. Interested in being on the Food Council?  Get in touch with Kaitlyn <welzenk@ripon.edu> and find out more!

Recent pictures from the campus garden. Talk about local food!

Keep our Electricity demand down

Thank you to all the members of the campus community who have been making the effort to reduce our electricity load during this very hot week.  As I've walked through buildings on campus to escape the outdoor heat, I see lots of closed doors with friendly notes asking passers-by to come in.
Here's a picture of a door in Smith Hall (and it's not mine!)

On another matter, I visited the farm where organic waste from The Commons kitchen is taken earlier in the week.  Sodexo employees separate compostable, raw fruits and veggies which are then transported to Frasier Farms. There they are added to the compost pile where they decompose and are eventually used to build up the soil on the farm.  Rather than ending up in the landfill in Berlin, the waste helps local veggies grow.