Campus sustainability initiative reaches campus kitchens

As an attempt to expand Hopkins's sustainability initiative, Hopkins Dining is implementing the JHU Dining Food Chain Program, which hopes to educate the Hopkins community about the importance of the local Baltimore food chain.

At the helm of this project is the Director of Hopkins Dining, Dave Furhman.

"JHU Dining's Food Chain Community Program has been developed to provide the campus community with a greater understanding of the local food chain - specifically an appreciation of the role that the local and regional community plays," Furhman said.

"The Food Chain Community Program will promote heightened consciousness of the interdependence of our campus dining program and local producers by highlighting the products and services provided by local farms and businesses in each of our dining facilities."

At Hopkins, the local farms and community have been providing a variety of foods and services to the dining program, including to the freshman and sophomore eateries known as the Fresh Food Café and Nolan's. This exchange has been in effect for several years.

"JHU Dining sources an enormous variety of goods and services from the local and regional community of farmers and businesses, Furhman said.

"Goods include fresh produce, dairy products and baked goods. Examples of services include florists, linen and china rental services, just to name a few."

"However, through conversations with students, we realized that they and many other members of the campus community didn't know that JHU Dining focuses on supporting the local and regional community as much as we do," Furhman said.

As a result, JHU Dining and Aramark came up with the Food Chain Program in order to educate the Hopkins community about Dining's commitment to the local Baltimore food chain.

The basic goal of the Food Chain Program is education: They hope to inform the entire Hopkins community about the University's commitment to supporting local and regional farms and businesses. Dining plans to meet this goal by engaging students and other members of the community in the places where they eat.

"Throughout the academic year, we will plan, develop and implement informational programs and events that will be delivered in JHU Dining facilities," Furhman said.

Students and faculty will be encouraged to get involved with the program as well and offer up both feedback and ideas for new Dining programs and events.

"Through this communication initiative, we hope that students will gain a better understanding of JHU Dining and the interdependence we have with the community beyond the walls of JHU," Furhman said.

The JHU Dining Food Chain Program officially began on October 29, 2009, with a Guest Chef in Nolan's.

The guest chef was John Shields, who is the head chef of Gertrude's Restaurant, located in the Baltimore Museum of Art.

"John is a huge proponent of sustainability," Furhman said, explaining why he was considered an excellent choice for the guest chef program's first event.

The new Dining Food Chain Program also directly impacts Hopkins' sustainability initiative.

Hopkins currently chooses to find a local choice for many food products, which is also the sustainable choice, and this program will reinforce that ideal.

Hopkins also intends to expand its original sustainability initiative.

"Because our priority is to source locally or regionally, whenever the need or opportunity arises to source new products or services, we first look to fill that need through a local or regional supplier," Furhman said.

"The more we support the local and regional community - whether they be farmers, craftspeople or businesses, the more prosperous and generally healthy the community will be. We depend on the community for their goods and services and it's our responsibility to support them as best we can, as often as we can. While it may not always be practical or possible to do so, we will continue to make support of the local and regional community our priority."

So far, student reactions have been mixed.

Junior Aljosa Zovko seemed enthusiastic.

"I think it's great. Less food miles because it comes from closer sources, it's more sustainable. It's a good idea and I'm glad they're doing it," he said.

Michael Messina, a sophomore, said that he had not really noticed the effects of the program.

"I wasn't really aware, the only thing I've noticed is the fact that the farmer's market has come here a number of times," he said.

He personally did not feel strongly about where the food in the dining facilities was from, but saw how it could be advantageous to Hopkins.

"It's good because it gets Hopkins name out to the Baltimore community, and it's probably cheaper for them," he said. "It doesn't really matter to me whether they get it locally or from anywhere else."

Senior Juhee Kim said that while she had noticed the efforts of the program, she was not sure if many other students had.

"I have been aware of the effort. They have been advertising it, they have a lot of visible signs. I think they are making a real effort," she said.

"But I have no clue if students have a greater appreciation for it."

By Sarah Capponi

November 15, 2009