UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST The UMass Healthy and Sustainable Food System Ken Toong, Executive Director, UMass Auxiliary, Rachel Dutton, Sustainability Manager, UMass Auxiliary,

Presentation Outline  Current Situation  UMass Dining: A Case Study  Affordability  Best Practices  Vision  Connect with Us

Presentation Outline  Current Situation  UMass Dining: A Case Study  Affordability  Best Practices  Vision  Connect with Us

Welcome to the Award Winning UMass Dining

By the Numbers  Largest foodservice program in the country  Serves over 45,000 meals daily  17,000+ students on meal plans  95% of students living on campus have a meal plan (+4000 off-campus students)  One of the most awarded dining programs (8 sustainability awards in 2012) in the nation  Independently operated and self- supporting

UMass Amherst Dining The mission of UMass Dining Services is to contribute to the campus life experience by producing a variety of healthy and flavorful meals featuring local, regional, and world cuisine in a sustainable and environmentally conscious manner

What’s happened at UMass in 14 years  Revenues grew from 28 million to over 80 million  Revenue growth is 10% per year  Meal plan participation increased from 8,300 to 17,000  Customer satisfaction ratings increased from 5.2 to 8.65  From a straight-line serving to multi-concept  From all-American food to world cuisines  Special events weekly rather than monthly  Buy 30% produce locally  One of the most talked about dining programs in the nation

Survey Results– Spring 14

Why Local? Because We’re Part of the Education  Our volume can have an impact  Support local, regional New England economy  Allows for better quality control  High demand – time horizon factor: Now  Feel-good factor: Immediate  Sustainable seafood & plant- based proteins  Healthier for students and community

An Exciting Announcement! UMass Amherst’s Hampshire Dining Commons is the first campus eatery to obtain LEED Gold status on a major renovation.

Presentation Outline  Current Situation  UMass Dining: A Case Study  Affordability  Best Practices  Vision  Connect with Us

The UMass Permaculture Initiative WHAT IS IT: A unique and cutting-edge sustainability program that converts underused grass lawns on the campus into edible, low-maintenance, and easily replicable gardens. 5 on-campus demonstration gardens Involving thousands of students and community members Host annual sustainability conference Workshops, demonstrations, work day events Winner 8 of national awards since 2012 Fundraised over $100,000 since 2012 through grants, awards, events, and crowd-funding

Campus Champions of Change 2012

2013 UMass Signs Real Food Campus Commitment

What is Real Food? Community-based Humanely-raised Fair Trade Ecologically-Sound

2013 UMass Signs Real Food Campus Commitment  Largest signer in the country  20% Real Food by 2020  Current: ~10% Real Food (FY14)  Over $1 million on local food spent each year  Sustainable Seafood  Organic / fair trade coffee  Cage-free, local eggs

UMass Healthy & Sustainable Food System Initiative

The UMass Healthy and Sustainable Food System initiative converts one of UMass Amherst's on-campus dining halls into a premier campus eatery dedicated to sustainability, health, and wellness and provides a defensible and cost- effective example for all campuses to emulate. Shift UMass Dining purchasing Transform Hampshire Dining Commons Create a “How-to” guide Teach our model UMass Healthy & Sustainable Food System Initiative

Sample – Summer Implementation Plan Local ItemCommitment Beef Local beef served in Hampshire Dining Commons by Sept 2014; and local beef served in all 4 DCs by spring 2015 Chicken Local rotisserie chicken in Hampshire Dining Commons by fall 2014; slow phase- in afterwards to increase local chicken Fish Underutilized / local fish recipes to be incorporated into rotating menu cycle at all 4 dining commons by Sept 2014 (Chef de cuisine will prepare several menu items this summer) Milk Regional / local milk in Hampshire Dining Commons by Sept 2014 Oats New England granola in all 4 dining commons by spring 2015 (our most popular cereal item) Apples Effective immediately, source local & regional apples all year round Pork Source local pork by spring 2015 in Hampshire Dining commons Spring Rolls Ask our vendor to commit to at least 50% local ingredients by fall 2014 Farm to Institution New England Community in Supporting Agriculture (CISA) MA Farm to SchoolUMass Ag Extension

Alternative Waste Management  Compost 100% in Dining Commons  Compostable to-go containers  Trayless dining  Food Recovery Network  LeanPath pre-consumer waste reduction  Recycle waste oil  Support community anaerobic digestion facility = (Waste  Energy!)

Awards and Publications (Recent)

Presentation Outline  Current Situation  UMass Dining: A Case Study  Affordability  Best Practices  Vision  Connect with Us

Affordability  Audit your food waste, then do something about it! In 2013, we saved over $350,000 by avoiding pre-consumer food waste. Smart design in your dining halls reduces post-consumer waste.  If you have the volume, buy direct.  Reduce red meat. And animal protein in general. It’s healthier and less expensive.  Pay attention to market demand. In our case, less market demand for medium size eggs = cheaper Underutilized fish saves up to 25% compared with more popular varieties (Note: creative menu design is key!).  Share your story. Word gets out, and food sustainability projects are exciting! UMass Dining fundraised over $600,000 since 2012 to support our sustainability work.

Affordability  Recipe design using underutilized meat cuts Such as chicken legs and thighs = cheaper Good recipe design can compete with conventional cutlets  Use seconds Using bones to make stock, leftovers to make stew..  Small Plate, Big Flavor A mentality that favors quality over quantity Less waste

Presentation Outline  Current Situation  UMass Dining: A Case Study  Affordability  Best Practices  Vision  Connect with Us

(Some) Best Practices  On a campus? Sign the Real Food Campus Commitment. Uses third party certifications = trustworthy, provides clear guidelines and goals  Create a planning team that meets regularly. More personal investment, accountability, and diversity of ideas. This work takes some creativity!  Don’t go it alone – Seek outside funding.  Education and organizational culture shift should be among your sustainability program’s core values. Educate and engage dining staff Invite students to participate / give feedback on program ideas  Adjust your Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to include local and sustainable.  Incorporate local and sustainability goals into your vendor contracts.

Presentation Outline  Current Situation  UMass Dining: A Case Study  Affordability  Best Practices  Vision  Connect with Us

Vision  Food Solution New England: 50% Local Food by 2060  Real Food Campus Commitment: 20% Real Food by 2020  Grass fed beef  Significant waste reduction  Our own processing facilities  Energy conservation  More robust conservation measures (water – auto shut off, low flow flush, etc.)

Presentation Outline  Current Situation  UMass Dining: A Case Study  Affordability  Best Practices  Vision  Connect with Us

Official Local, Healthy UMass Updates at

For All Else.. Visit us at

UMass Chef Culinary Conference June 2015 – The Chef Culinary Conference aims to accelerate foodservice concepts into the next generation - one that embraces health, sustainability, and food ethics, to meet the increasing diversity of consumer preferences.

Thank you!