Middlebury

 

Food Facts

  • 20% of food is sourced from Vermont
  • Fair-trade coffee is served in dining halls
  • We compost 300 tons of food each year!
  • Middlebury belongs to the Terra Madre slow food network
  • 47 local vendors provide food to Middlebury

Green Dining at Middlebury

With Dining Services providing upwards of 7,000 meals a day, and working from a food budget of $3.9 million dollars, there is a lot of food to order. Charlie Sargent, chief purchaser for Dining Services, is committed to building relationships that support local food producers. The college’s most recent food vendor bid request emphasized Middlebury Dining’s commitment to purchasing locally produced products. In the bid letter announcement it specifically states "Middlebury College Dining Services strives to support the local economy by purchasing locally produced products and some items will be specified as such.”

Reinhart Burlington Foodservice was awarded this bid and regularly supplies the college with food products from 47 Vermont food producers.

Dining Services works directly with farmers and local produce distributors to increase the amount of local produce used in the dining halls, recognizing the potential income they can offer farmers by steering more of the College’s annual produce purchases toward local growers. They also work with the Middlebury College Organic Farm to purchase seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Locally grown and in-season fruits and vegetables, maple syrup and local dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream are regularly provided in the dining halls.