Ithaca Dining Services Sustainability

Sustainable Gift-Giving

2011-12-16T07:42:00.000-08:00

Tips for Sustainable Giving

If you missed out on our event in Towers yesterday (when we made our own holiday cards) you don't have to miss out on the tips we gave students for gift-giving this holiday season. Here are some ideas for giving without taking from the planet - because we all know, its really the thought that counts!

Make your own cards!

Services instead of Goods
Gifts of service require little or no use of natural resources, and are very personal and memorable. The gift of You - your time, energy or expertise are as 'giftworthy' as anything you can put in a box. Massage, music lessons, childcare, car wash, dogwalk, lawncare, tutoring, cooking, gardening, a book of coupons for household chores....

Experiences to enjoy and remember
Giving the gift of an experience can bring fun, learning and memories that hold value for years. For example, tickets to a show or concert can offer lasting value with minimal impact on resources. Sports events, local attractions, rock-climbing centers, ice-rink memberships, and museum memberships are other examples. Experiences can be other than 'entertainment' - for example, a membership to a car-sharing club in your city, or a garden plot in a local community garden.

Antiques and Collectibles
Value and appeal don't always have to mean 'new and shiny'. Antiques and collectibles have time-earned intrinsic value as well as the added appeal of history and sentimental value. Personal gifts are appreciated and remembered because they tell a story. And because they're "re-used", there's no impact on the environment.

Found Objects
We all have our little treasures, our discoveries from nature. An unusual shell, crystal, wood burl, arrowhead, bone, shark tooth..... Over time we get used to seeing them and our interest wanes. Once you've enjoyed your special discoveries long enough, pass them on as gifts and they'll be "rediscovered" with enthusiasm, and impart their wonder again.

Homemade Edibles
Homemade is heartfelt. Your time and energy, and culinary creativity, are just as valued as that store-bought gift which they may not really even need. Your time spent in the kitchen is probably no more than the time spent gift-hunting online or at the mall. And the gift of food is personal, easy on the environment, and not likely to go to waste.

Flower Power
Grow your own gifts. Unique floral varieties can be raised in your small home plot, and make interesting, appealing gifts which anyone can appreciate. Homegrown cut flowers or potted plants make great gifts - the result is the same: eye catching, easy on the environment and rich with sentiment. If you prefer to buy flowers as gifts, choose from 'in season' locally grown varieties. The maintenance of greenhouses and long-distance transportation to provide summer flowers in winter can involve significant expenditures of energy, coming from fossil fuels.

"Used" Gifts

It's time to look at "used" in a new light. Giving a used gift was once out of the question - it made the gift-giver feel cheap. And no one wants to risk offending the recipient. But used gifts are the kindest of all to the environment, as no energy or resources are expended.

To read more visit: http://eartheasy.com/give_tips_for_sustainable_giving.html

Support Our Troops, Saying Thanks Event

2011-12-08T08:45:00.000-08:00

Thank you for supporting local troops!

Ithaca Dining Services hosted "Saying Thanks: Support Local Troops" at the tc Lounge on Monday, Nov. 14^th. Live entertainment was provided by the Erik Caron Connection and IC Supports Our Heroes sold bracelets to raise money to buy items for the troops. The tc Lounge also provided buy one, get one free frozen and regular hot chocolates. People were able to drop off donations and write letters to the soldiers at this event.

In addition, boxes were set up at each dining hall, IC Square and in the Ithaca Dining Services marketing office from Monday, Nov. 26^th to Friday, Dec. 2^nd where students, faculty and staff could drop off donations. There was also a table set up at the Better Tomorrow Plan Celebration in Emerson Suites on Wednesday, Nov. 28^th for people to drop off donations and write letters to the soldiers.

The donations were sent to the American Legion and they will send them to local troops in Afghanistan. Thank you for all of those who took part in this great service to our community!

We have collected

· 39 books

· 25 letters

· 15 DVDs

· 13 canned goods

· 6 boxes of Twix

· 2 containers of Wet Wipes

· 1 travel pack of Qtips

· 1 toothbrush

· 1 stuffed animal

· 1 box of pencils

· 1 pack of looseleaf paper

Better Tomorrow Plan Celebration

2011-12-07T09:34:00.000-08:00

On November 30, Ithaca Dining Services held their first-ever Better Tomorrow plan celebration!

The purpose of the celebration was to visually represent Sodexo’s three core pillars and fourteen commitments to sustainability in one venue. It brought awareness to Ithaca College about the Better Tomorrow Plan and its commitments by gathering many organizations under the umbrella of sustainability.

Participants included:

Vendor		Student Group	On/Off Campus Department
UDI’s Gluten Free		Slowfood	Climate Action Plan
*Red Jacket Orchards		Frack Off	Hammond Health Center
*Eva Hummus		REMP	Campus Dietitian
*Chobani Greek Yogurt		Take back the Tap	Campus and Event Services
*Cayuga Pure Organics		IC Food For Thought	Cornell Cooperative Extension
Peeled Snacks	IC Fresh
*Beet n Path	Ithaca College Environmental Society
*A Nut Job- flavored Nuts	Food Allergy Awareness Club
Freshens	Bomber Bike Initaitive
*Finger Lakes Fresh	Net Impact
*That Indian Drink
Pink Chips
*Local

The program provided an opportunity for participants and attendees (an estimated 300!) to learn about initiatives that are carried out “behind the scenes” of dining services as well as initiatives that affect them as consumers. Attendees were very engaged and interested in learning about the initiatives and the event became a place for student groups to network with faculty and staff as well as share work with their peers.

To read more about Sodexo's Better Tomorrow Plan, click here

America Recycles Day: What you need to know about sorting and recycling

2011-11-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

Today in Towers Dining Hall, Sustainability Interns celebrated Ithaca College's recycling efforts and educated students in order to increase proper recycling efforts on campus. The interns informed Ithaca College students about single stream recycling and encouraged students to read the labels on all containers. Help us divert even more waste from the landfill by recognizing commonly mis-sorted items in the video below!

SWIFT at Fall Splash Alumni Picnic

2011-10-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

During Fall Splash, the Alumni weekend, Dining Services had many events to cater, with some producing unavoidable waste. The Alumni picnic, for example, did not have an exact number of attendees giving it a higher probability to have left-overs at the end of the day. Some of the food left was used to feed student catering workers, and the rest was donated to the United Methodist Church in Freeville. Watch the video for more info!

New York State Apples

2011-10-15T11:05:00.000-07:00

Many people are picky eaters, me included. I just began broadening my horizons and eating fruit regularly about three years ago. I hated the messiness of oranges and the consistency of bananas. I finally was pressured into eating an orange by a close friend and realized what I had been missing; juicy and refreshing, it even comes pre-packaged and in bit-sized pieces! You go, nature!

Bananas took a little bit more getting used to, but by the time I went to Belize for the course Reefs, Ruins and Rainforests I couldn’t wait to try an all natural banana. Needless to say, it was the best banana I have ever had.

So what does all this have to do with New York apples? Well even though I had started experimenting with eating fruit; until recently, I was still not a huge fan of eating apples. Now don’t go thinking that I don’t like apple pie, apple cider, hot apple cider with apple cider donuts (yummm…), apple turnovers, oatmeal with apples in it, sliced apples with honey, apple cake or apple smoked bacon. On the contrary, I love all of those dishes; I just didn’t like to bite into an apple. That is, until I had one of the delicious New York State apples from the dining hall.

Instead of dessert I decided that an apple would be good for me, sweet enough and maybe even help clean my teeth a little bit, too. The apple I grabbed was deep red and fit perfectly in the palm of my hand. It was so delicious that I finished the whole thing. Every day since then I’ve picked up an apple on my way into or out of the dining hall. They are THAT GOOD (and local foods are good for the planet!).

So now it’s your turn. Go to one of our dining halls and try a New York State apple. You will not be disappointed. If you want to send us a picture of you eating one of our apples, please do! I hope you all enjoy this delicious and healthy (and local!) snack.

-Spencer Grossman '13

Recap of World Vegetarian Day

2011-10-06T13:31:00.000-07:00

World Vegetarian Day was a huge success! We had a great time with Red Jacket Orchards and were provided amazing food from the Fresh Food Market in Towers Dining Hall. We also had 33 people pledge to participate in our Meatless Month Challenge, including 4 who are going vegan. Need some meatless inspiration? Watch our video recap!

Special Thanks to Jacob Fitzpatrick, Laura Kerrigan and the great people at Red Jacket Orchards!

October's Meatless Month Challenge

2011-10-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,

Stephanie here, Dining Services Sustainability Coordinator. I wanted to do a more personal blog today about my Meatless Month Challenge. The idea of this challenge is see if we can reduce the amount of meat we serve by reducing the amount of meat students demand. We have challenged the whole campus community to go meatless once a day, one day a week (Meatless Monday!), or try vegetarian or vegan. If you didn't know about this until now, there is still time!

The reason we are calling it a challenge is to encourage people to alter their habits and eat more consciously. According to the USDA: "In 2000, Americans consumed an average 57 pounds more meat than they did annually in the 1950s, and a third fewer eggs." This change in habit, along with a variety of other factors, has contributed to an increase in cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Not only is decreasing your personal meat consumption good for your health, but it decreases your impact on our natural resources; the NY Times did a great piece on vegetarian carbon footprints. For those of you out there that are already vegetarian or vegan, I know you are convinced of the evidence; your challenge this month is to educate and influence your peers!

I am 2 days into a vegan diet (I have been a vegetarian for several years) and I have to tell you honestly; its hard, but worth it. I already feel a positive change in my body and mood. I am a personal lover of all things cheesy so even when I go to make myself a salad in Terrace Dining Hall, it is a bit tempting to add the cheddar. My advice to anyone going vegetarian or vegan for this month, or making any dietary change is do it for you, never feel guilty, and remember you make your own diet. If you feel that a vegetarian diet is right for you, but you crave an occasional chicken dish, there is no reason to feel like you're a cheater. Listen to your body honestly, before and after you eat.

That's all for now. Look out this week for different tips and fun facts about eating a heart healthy, and meat-free diet in the dining hall!

Please Email us at ecodining@ithaca.edu, follow and mention us on twitter (ICDining) or facebook us (Ithaca Dining Services) your Meatless Month Challenge experiences! Look forward to hearing from you!

Weigh the Waste Results

2011-09-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

Ithaca College students wasted about 250 pounds of food during dinner in 2 hours on Sept 19, 2011.

Food Waste 09/19/2011 Dinner Per Person Weekly Monthly


Campus Center	0.16	1.12	4.48

Towers	0.05	0.35	1.4

Terraces	0.11	0.77	3.08

Ithaca Dining Services Energy Initiative Video

2011-09-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

To see past blogs about the energy initiative check out the links below!

March 15, 2011-New Energy Saving Equipment!
March 10, 2011- Energy Initiative Update
June 16, 2010-Energy and Water Conservation Initiative Update
March 24, 2010-Energy Initiative featured in On-Campus Hospitality

Special thanks to Mary-Margaret Cimino for filming and editing this video.

Did you know?

2011-09-15T09:01:00.000-07:00

Did you Know?
All of our milk, yogurt, butter, sour cream, cottage cheese and orange juice come from a local dairy provider- Byrne Dairy. The sustainable, healthy and fresh milk and milk products are all growth hormone free. Byrne Dairy has been in business since 1933, they get their milk from 5 regional dairy farms who treat their animals and their farm with care. In addition to providing restaurants, grocery stores, and dining services (like us!) Byrne Dairy owns and operate 53 convenience stores throughout upstate New York.

Not only does it taste great, but its good for you too! Visit their website for more information, and nutritional facts. www.byrnedairy.com

The purpose of the Did you know? Food Series, is to update communications on local, sustainable, healthy and organic foods on campus. We will announce each topic on intercom and right here on our blog as well as post information at all of the food stations where our feature is located. These communications will become a permanent part of these food stations, to continue to inform students, faculty, and staff.

Ithaca Dining Services supports Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow Plan, a roadmap to Sustainability with 3 core pillars and 14 commitments through 2015. For more information on the Plan, and Ithaca Dining Services sustainability initiatives, see the Ithaca Dining Services Website Sustainability Tab.

Welcome Back!

2011-09-13T12:18:00.000-07:00

Join us as we kick off the school year with our first sustainability-themed event, World Ozone Day! On Tuesday, September 12th, sustainability interns will be at Towers Dining Hall throughout dinner educating Ithaca College students about the history, significance, and solutions of ozone emissions.
We will also have a special menu highlighting local and organic food during the event in the Fresh Food Market section of the dining hall.

Our special menu includes:

Mediterranean lamb sliders with pineapple and mango (local spices including mint)

**NEW**Vertical Salad bar:

Organic dressings

Local bread (Ithaca Bakery)
Local hydroponic variety lettuce (Finger Lakes Fresh)

New Sustainability Coordinator

2011-06-24T08:31:00.000-07:00

Happy summer! Some exciting things have been happening at Dining Services during the summer break. Stephanie Piech ’11 has been named the new Sustainability Coordinator for Ithaca Dining Services.Stephanie recently graduated from Ithaca College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and served as a dining sustainability intern for three years, where she was an integral part of the Dining Energy Initiative team. In her new role, Stephanie will update and coordinate a comprehensive sustainability plan for Dining Services. Some preliminary priorities for the 2011-2012 school year are: continued energy conservation and reduction, launching a STOP Hunger campaign, holding a 30 day meatless challenge, and continuing the peer eduction with the sustainability interns. If you have any questions or sustainability suggestions for dining services, you can contact Stephanie directly by phone: (607)-274-5899 or by email: spiech@ithaca.edu or, as always, contact sustainability interns Sofia and Spencer at ecodining@ithaca.edu. Enjoy the warmth!

-IC Dining Sustainability Team

Earth Week 2011 Review

2011-04-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

Our week-long celebration of Earth Day has come to a close. As interns it was our pleasure to provide the Ithaca College community with events relating to sustainability and provide "green" giveaways to promote reusable (instead of disposable) container use. In case you missed out, be sure to view the event pictures below!

Click to view a slide show of Earth Week 2011 Event Pictures

Veggie Teach-In: We hope everyone enjoyed the all-vegan meal served at the Exhibition station in Terrace Dining Hall on Monday April 18th! We received a lot of positive feedback from students who ordered the meal. In fact, the veggie burgers were gone within a half hour of opening!

This year Carbon Nation was back by popular demand. The documentary discusses a more environmentally friendly approach to doing business, all while raking in more green (and we don't mean the stuff in your front yard). All of the delicious organic and local food was enjoyed by Ithaca College students. Everyone who attended also left with hand-fulls of free giveaways.

Energy Tour: Special Thanks to members of the Energy Initiative Team for leading the tour and Mary-Margaret Cimino for filming it! We look forward to providing you with a behind-the-scenes view of new energy-saving equipment installed over the past 2 years.

Sustainability Pledge: In three hours, over forty students pledged to become more sustainable at our event in the Food Court! We enjoyed 4 large sheet worms and dirt sheet cakes and gave out hundreds of reusable water bottles.

Benefits of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets

2011-04-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

View a handout of the many health and environmental benefits of eating a vegetarian and vegan diet by clicking the image below.

To kick off Earth Week, come to the Veggie Teach-In and try vegan food at Terraces on Monday during dinner!

Earth Week 2011 Events

2011-04-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

The time has finally arrived!

Don't miss out on the many free giveaways dining services is giving out in celebration of Earth Week! Sustainability interns will be at the following events giving away reusable water bottles, mugs, and raffling a bag full of green giveaways:

Monday, April 18^th

Veggie Teach-In

Terrace Dining Hall, Dinner (5:30-8:00)

Menu:

Fresh Made Salsa

with tortilla chips

Lentil Burgers

Glazed Sweet Potatoes (At Exhibition Station)

Pumpkin Tofu Cheesecake

Students have the opportunity to come to Terrace Dining Hall during dinner to experience new vegan recipes and gain new insight to eating this type of diet from environmental groups on campus. Students and Faculty without meal plans are also encouraged to attend this event, though they will have to pay upon entry.

Tuesday, April 19^th

Carbon Nation Movie Showing

CNS 112: 7:00-9:00

Menu:

Sustainable Catering Items

Organic Vegetable Display (broccoli, celery, carrots, dip)
Crackerman Crackers and Cheese Platter (local crackers, local & organic cheeses)
Pita Crisps with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (organic)

Giveaways: Green raffle bag, t-shirts, and 20 water bottles given to the first 20 arrivals

Don't miss out on your chance to see an optimistic and witty film about climate change solutions.

Thursday, April 21^st

Energy Walk-through Tour

Taughannock Falls Meeting Room, 1:30-3:30

Menu: Worms and Dirt Cake, Punch

Giveaways: Green raffle bag, t-shirts, 20 mugs, and 20 water bottles

The tour will highlight energy saved since the energy audit completed January 2009 and show the Ithaca College community equipment replaced as a result of the project. The tour will be hosted by members of the Energy Initiative Team.

Friday, April 22^nd

Earth Day Event, Sustainability Pledge

Food Court, 11:00-2:00

Menu: Worms and Dirt Cake

Giveaway: Green raffle bag, 75 water bottles, and 75 mugs

Students will win free reusable giveaways after signing a sustainability pledge.

Concert, Acoustic Tribute to Ma Earth

Emerson Suites, 7:00pm-11:00pm

Dining Services is providing food at the event sponsored by IC Environmental Society (ICES) and the Resource and Environmental Management Program (REMP)

Menu:

Sustainable Catering Items

Assorted Organic Whole Fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, pears)
Organic Vegetable Platter (broccoli, celery, carrots, dip)
Pita Crisps with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus (organic)
Green Mountain Fair Trade coffee Service (regular, decaf, fair trade tea)

Celebrate Earth Day with an acoustic concert and learn about student groups on campus devoted to environmental conservation.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Julie Whitten at jwhitten@ithaca.edu or call 607-274-1187.

NCUR Recap

2011-04-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

During our Presentation

NCUR was definitely a success. It was so great to be placed at the entry of Hill, where attendees went for their meals, because often we answered generic questions people had along with talking to them about dining sustainability. CRT (compost-recycling-trash) staff and dining interns sported "Sustainability Team" t-shirts too!

Nutrition intern, Leigh, and Lyndsay, a volunteer, at Sustainability Table in the Hill Center

While tabling, we received countless compliments about the college's commitment to sustainability -it really blew a lot of people away. Conference attendees were amazed that we were able to accomplish what we did with an event of this size. Ithaca College set an example for many other student leaders to bring back to their colleges and university. Our presentation on "Student Driven Sustainability Initiatives: Ithaca Dining Services" left standing room only. We had many questions and conversations at the with students who are interested in implementing more sustainability into their institution's dining services. Throughout the conference, we met people from all over the nation trying to make a difference; some who have made progress and some who are struggling. It was great to see so many students especially, with the same goals and passions!

To view a complete list of what Ithaca Dining Services did to have such a sustainable conference, click here.
To view our power point presentation, click here.

All the hard work put in by Ithaca Dining Services and the NCUR planning committee definitively paid off!

We are Presenting at NCUR!

2011-03-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

To find out more about the sustainability initiatives we have aided in through Ithaca Dining Services, come to our NCUR presentation!
Date/Time: Thursday 3:25-3:45 p.m.

Location: Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise 206

The presentation will cover how to implement new sustainability initiatives on campus, utilize multiple forms of marketing, communication, and outreach strategies in order to reach a variety of audiences and exhibit successful initiatives.

We look forward to sharing our hard work with you!

-Sofia and Stephanie

Celebrate National Agriculture Day!

2011-03-22T11:50:00.000-07:00

Be sure to come to Towers during lunch this Thursday to celebrate National Agriculture Day. Students and Faculty will have the opportunity to fill out a survey and win a “grow-your-own basil” plant. Ithaca Dining Sustainability Interns will be available to answer questions about sustainable agriculture, local and organic food on campus, and provide insight to Sodexo’s food procurement system.