UMass Dining Sustainability

The Local, Healthy UMass Food System Initiative

PictureA plate featuring fresh, local chicken and vegetables from Czajkowski Farm in Hadley, MA.
An initiative marks a beginning. UMass Dining Services set out to reimagine the university’s food system from the ground up. The result is the Local, Healthy UMass Food System Initiative, originally launched through a two-year pilot program generously funded by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation.

​It has since evolved into the umbrella in which UMass Dining’s sustainability programs operates and is far beyond the original 2 year grant.Today, it is about how UMass Dining is revisioning the conventional food system and transforming it into a regionally based, just system fosters world class, healthy foods. 
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Our published How-To Guide, New England from the Ground Up, documents the beginning of this journey.

Expected Outcomes

Phase 1 Outcomes

  1. Shift UMass Dining's annual food and beverage budget to New England growers and vendors
  2. Convert Hampshire Dining Commons into a premier campus eatery for sustainability, health, and wellness
  3. Develop a "How-to" guide documenting the process and business case for the broad, profitable execution of a local and
    sustainable supply chain
  4. Design instructive workshops and other content about food systems and regional supply chains for upcoming UMass Chef
    Conference and UMass Revisioning Sustainability Conference
  5. On track to meet Real Food Campus Commitment goal of 20% Real Food by 2020

Phase 2 Outcomes

  1. Increase sourcing for lean, local poultry and plant based proteins
  2. Utilize our ultra-local permaculture gardens for research and development
  3. Continue to set the gold standard for sustainable foodservice operations while providing mentorship to other schools and institutions
  4. Engage the campus community with co-curricular learning experiences that influence healthy food and eating habits
  5. Build collaboration among suppliers and consumers by creating a food hub that supports the local economy
  6. On track to meet Food Solutions New England (FSNE) challenge to source 50% local food by the year 2060

PHASE 3 OUTCOMES

  1. Strengthen the New England regional poultry supply chain
  2. Host a “New England Farm to Campus Leaders’ Summit”
  3. Deepen student awareness and education by creating a “teaching kitchen” offering classes for students incorporating culinary principles with lessons about resilient regional food systems
  4. Compile a collection of global recipes that can be served throughout the day using local ingredients
  5. Create a large institution dining resource mechanism to open communication channels and share best practices as they develop

Henry P. Kendall Foundation

UMass Dining is grateful to the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, whose vision is to create a resilient and healthy food system in New England that increases the consumption of local, sustainably-produced food. Their generous support made the Local, Healthy UMass Food System Initiative possible.
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Pictured left to right: Garett DiStefano (Director of Residential Dining Services, UMass Auxiliary Enterprises), Britt Florio (Senior Sustainability Director, UMass Auxiliary Enterprises), Andy Kendall (Director, Henry P. Kendall Foundation), and Ken Toong (Executive Director, UMass Auxiliary Enterprises) presenting a gift basket to our Grantor, Andy, at a meeting. Hampshire Dining Commons - UMass Amherst