SUSTAINABILITY
Compostables
In January 2008, HUDS introduced corn-based compostables to the Chauhaus at the Graduate School of Design. The community achieved a 90% reduction in cafe trash as a result. Compostables were subsequently added at the Divinity School and the HSchool of Public Health
Sustainability is a core value for HUDS. We are committed to purchasing and operational practices and menu choices that sustain the health and well-being of the environment, communities, and the people producing and eating food.
On October 22, 2009, Harvard marks the one-year anniversary of its commitment to a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In keeping with the University’s continued advancement toward a greener campus, HUDS is pleased to mark this time with several events:
October 19-23, Lunch
Make Mine Local – a special meal deal in our retail dining locations (except Lamont & Buckminster's). Enjoy a seasonal, homemade soup of local vegetables, a freshly baked roll from Carberry’s, a local apple, and milk from a Massachusetts dairy. $4.50 with small soup/$5.00 with large soup
October 22, 5-7pm
Sustainable Dinner – a festive meal in all undergraduate dining halls, Dudley Café, and Cronkhite Dining Room. Feast on a menu of locally grown produce, locally made baked goods, pasta, and dairy, and sustainably raised or harvested proteins (view a map of our ingredient sources here).
Menu:
- Baby Arugula Salad with roasted beets, pickled red onion, goat cheese & maple vinaigrette
- Gingered Pumpkin Soup with cinnamon croutons
- Whole Cider Roasted Bell & Evans Chicken with apple and chive stuffing & pan gravy
- Steamed Prince Edward Island Mussels with pommery mustard, garlic & white wine
- Tortellini with Sautéed Baby Spinach & Mushrooms and an olive oil & parmesan cheese drizzle
- Buttered Brussels Sprouts
- Roasted Parsnips with fresh thyme & olive oil
- Scallion Whipped Yukon Potatoes
- Vermont Cabot Cheese Board with sliced baguette
- Apple Pie & Blueberry Pie
- Richardson’s Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream
And introducing . . . Keep Local Farms
Can you imagine life at Harvard without pizza, milk, cheese or yogurt? It may sound impossible, but as low milk prices force more and more small New England dairy farmers out of business, our local supply of these dairy products is in jeopardy. So HUDS supports New England agriculture by purchasing local dairy products and by participating in the new Keep Local Farms™ program. Keep Local Farms raises awareness of the challenges facing small dairy farmers, and raises money to support farmers in need and ensure the continued stewardship of open land and wildlife that exists on small farms, as well as continued access to local dairy products. Visit www.KeepLocalFarms.org for more information and to make a contribution.
In August 2008, HUDS issued its first Sustainability Report, a summary of our department's "green" initiatives to date. We intend to release this report of sustainability efforts, from a foodservice perspective, annually (2nd report due in November 2009). Our inaugural edition was made more timely in light of President Faust's July 8, 2008 release of the Report of the Harvard Greenhouse Gas Task Force.
Food—it's cultivation, production, consumption, and disposal—is one of the world's greatest opportunities for improved sustainability. Through our Food Literacy Project, HUDS endeavors to make every dining experience thoughtful and educational, with the hope that our focused attention on sustainability will yield more mindful culinarians and diners.
I am extremely proud of how the HUDS team has embraced this challenge and worked around campus to make Harvard University more sustainable. We look forward to continuing this work with you, and I extend our support for anything we may do to help you green your dining experience.
