2008 Woodie Awards
Upcoming changes in the way Midd does food
Lauren Armstrong
Issue date: 1/27/05 Section: Features
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Whether you're a slave to the Proctor panini machine, a faithful Freeman International Center (FIC) goer or willing to face the masses at Ross, food is inevitably an important part of your day. With many changes occurring in Middlebury's dining services, including the construction of the new Atwater dining hall and the incorporation of more local food products into the daily menus, there are many opportunities to influence the type of food we find at the dining halls every day. Classes and workshops offered during J-term are great resources for learning to appreciate the food that we eat, and to put it in the context of the greater community and world food systems.
Many efforts have been made to include locally and sustainably produced food in the dining hall selections. Matthew Biette, director of Dining Services, estimates that 25 percent of the budget currently goes toward the purchase of local food products, such as eggs, milk, bacon, sausage, apples and seasonal vegetables. While it is clear that unless we give up everything that does not grow in Vermont during the winter - and let's face it, that includes just about everything - we will not be solely dependent on local produce. However, a large portion of the local food products used by dining services are eggs, dairy and meat, which are produced year round.
Dining Services has recently added bacon from the Farmer's Diner in Barre, Vt., a restaurant that supports local farmers by purchasing about 80 percent of their ingredients from within 50 miles of the diner, and soon plans to offer a locally grown hot cereal at breakfast. Local food is incorporated whenever it is economically feasible, and products that are not found in Vermont, such as salmon, are often obtained from sustainable sources.
There are many advantages to using as many local products as possible, from boosting the local economy to reducing the expenses and environmental impact of transporting food over long distances. There is a certain joy found in the knowledge that being conscious about what you eat can support the livelihood of the people that form the community surrounding Middlebury and make Vermont the agricultural Eden that it is.
Many efforts have been made to include locally and sustainably produced food in the dining hall selections. Matthew Biette, director of Dining Services, estimates that 25 percent of the budget currently goes toward the purchase of local food products, such as eggs, milk, bacon, sausage, apples and seasonal vegetables. While it is clear that unless we give up everything that does not grow in Vermont during the winter - and let's face it, that includes just about everything - we will not be solely dependent on local produce. However, a large portion of the local food products used by dining services are eggs, dairy and meat, which are produced year round.
Dining Services has recently added bacon from the Farmer's Diner in Barre, Vt., a restaurant that supports local farmers by purchasing about 80 percent of their ingredients from within 50 miles of the diner, and soon plans to offer a locally grown hot cereal at breakfast. Local food is incorporated whenever it is economically feasible, and products that are not found in Vermont, such as salmon, are often obtained from sustainable sources.
There are many advantages to using as many local products as possible, from boosting the local economy to reducing the expenses and environmental impact of transporting food over long distances. There is a certain joy found in the knowledge that being conscious about what you eat can support the livelihood of the people that form the community surrounding Middlebury and make Vermont the agricultural Eden that it is.