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the right connections with farmers, eliminating the middlemen, to keep costs down.
DISTEFANO: We are able to demystify [that notion] with facts. Fact is, at our beta testing site, the Hampshire Dining Hall, food costs went down 3.5 percent last year, and have continued to fall year- over-year by increasing the amount of our local sourcing, increasing the amount of lean protein we offer, and increasing healthiness overall. Secondly, guest satisfaction went up. Students are saying
they want us to do even more. Third, our survey results suggest even student performance is being influenced by the type of food we serve. Students who eat more healthful foods are reporting that they are getting better grades and feeling better about themselves.
IDEAS: Can other institutions follow your lead? Is it scalable?
TOONG: We’re starting to exert influence around the region. We work with other colleges, K-12 schools, even some hospitals to share best practices. The more that large institutions work together to request local products, the more suppliers will respond and make them available. Prices will continue to come down with volume purchasing.
Our larger mission is to work with our peers, regionally and nationally, to raise the bar in campus dining. We are fortunate to be surrounded by farmland. We have a vibrant New England food system, let’s take advantage of that.
Kathleen Kingsbury can be reached at [email protected]
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