The mandate “think globally, act locally,” has made its way to the dinner table. Recent nationwide health scares, like the spinach recall in the fall of 2006, and the movement to reduce individual carbon footprints have made consumers more interested in not just the way that food is grown and raised, but where it comes from and how that affects human health and the environment. In response, restaurants and supermarkets have begun supplying information about the origins of the food they sell, and institutional dining services have also jumped on the bandwagon. Restaurant Associates (RA), which services the Courtyard, Elements, and Atrium Cafés—has enabled HMS to join the ranks of Google and Princeton by adding organic, natural, and local food choices to the menus.
Last spring, with the support of the HMS Operations Office and the Harvard Green Campus Initiative, RA began to research the logistics of introducing environmentally friendly options in the Quad cafés. HMS hired an outside consultant to help them determine their short- and long-term goals, and RA began implementing the plan last summer.
Some of the smaller changes include organic, locally made, and natural packaged foods such as yogurt, iced tea, and potato chips. This winter, RA began offering organic, free-range, and local meats in the salad bar and at the grilling station in Elements Café, and every two weeks meat from a local farm is featured in an entrée in all three of the eateries. Signs tell diners the names of the farms and their locations. Winter in New England is not an ideal time to find local produce, but RA’s goal is to have close to 100 percent local produce in the cafés in the spring and summer, purchased through a Canton-based farmers’ cooperative.
But how local is local? “There are many competing definitions of local, and it can vary from season to season,” said Jason DiChiara, RA director. “Each company has to define it themselves, and we’ve tried to define it as within 150 miles from here.”
Partnering with local farms is beneficial for several reasons, explained Jaclyn Olsen, manager of the Longwood Green Campus Initiative. “You’re not having to transport the food from all over the world. It has a huge impact on greenhouse gas initiatives, and you’re supporting the local economy.” And while local does not always mean organic, DiChiara said the farms they use often practice organic farming principles.
The move toward a greener cafeteria goes beyond food. Recently, RA introduced compostable containers as an alternative to Styrofoam and is keeping them in stock as the supply for these increasingly popular specialty products allows. There are plans to provide new recycling and composting stations in the near future. Long-term plans include hosting farmers’ markets, scheduling a ranch and farm tour, planting an onsite herb garden, and offering local and sustainable items for on-campus catering.
Eating green has a reputation for being expensive, but so far, entrée and grilling prices have remained the same, and the packaged goods sell for market price. “In the summertime, when produce is flourishing in the area, it can even be a little bit cheaper,” said DiChiara.
And while “sustainable agriculture” and “eating locally” have become buzzwords, DiChiara said he believes in the movement’s staying power. “Some people might call it a trend, but it’s not going to be short term. More people are realizing that where their food comes from is important to the health of the environment, themselves, and their families.”
