Sustainability Initiative
Food
There is much ado about food at Edmonds Community College. The college works operationally with food on two levels: 1) Culinary Arts - the instructional program, which also operates the College Cafe 2) Food Services - the Triton Marketplace, and the Triton Espresso Stands. Both of these programs provide catering services.
These departments recently initiated a wide-ranging green program that reduces carbon emissions, provides renewable fuel sources, improves food quality and safety, reduces waste while providing healthy food options for students, staff, and community members. The program includes embedding sustainability principles into all core curriculum with an emphasis on: waste reduction, local/sustainable product sourcing, and energy and water efficiency. Find out more by clicking the link: Sustainability in the Culinary Arts and Food Services Department.
Although the kitchens have been composting food waste for long time (pre-consumer composting), the college began a post-consumer composting for food waste in the Triton Marketplace last year, so now students have the option of composting their food waste. Look for the green bins!
New Workers Arrive on Campus (April 2011)!
We have new workers on campus. They've just arrived from California and they'll be working hard in our campus gardens. They are our new honeybees! Edmonds Community College now has two colonies of honeybees. They are located in the garden area northeast of Meadowdale, adjacent to the golf course. Soon you may notice the little critters flying around and pollinating our plants. If you see a swarm (a big ball of bees - very cool!), don't panic, they're not dangerous, and most important, don't spray with pesticides. Just call security. They'll know who to call. With luck, in the fall, we will have honey for sale.
A big appreciation goes out to Mary Whitfield, faculty member in the Chemistry department, for bringing this project to fruition!
For more information, check out the Bee Facts Newsletter:
Join Our CSA (Community-Supported Agriculture)!
Edmonds Community College is partnered with Full Circle Farm’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program in an effort to bring the freshest and best produce to the entire campus community. The Culinary Arts Department will be functioning as a drop site for community members to pick up boxes of fresh produce. This service is completely administered by Full Circle Farm. Edmonds functions as a host location, but feel it is the kind of service that fits within the mission of the college and the Culinary Arts department.
Boxes will be delivered every Wednesday and available for pickup from our loading dock, behind Brier Hall, from 3-7 p.m., boxes will again be available on Thursday from 10-5 p.m.
Sign up through the Full Circle Farm website to start getting your box today! We are listed under Seattle Metro Area-Lynnwood-Edmonds CC Culinary.
The Culinary Arts Department Receives Edmonds Community College Foundation Grant for Sustainable Food Purchasing
Beginning 2009, the program will partner with Ninety Farms in Arlington to purchase ½ of a grass fed, pasture-finished cow. On October 15, the farm will deliver the animal and students will break it down in to its component steaks and parts. On October 26, the students will head out to Ninety Farms to see and participate in their sustainable, humane animal husbandry program. This program should become self-sustaining as the profits from this animal will be used to purchase the next one.
Triton Marketplace Adds Healthier Beverages
This fall, the Triton Marketplace has added several beverages that do not include high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient. They include Hansen's Sodas and Smoothies, Fuze Healthy Infusions, Snapple Juice Drinks, and Sobe Lifewater.
Sustainability Council Hosts Food Workshop
In June 2009, the Sustainability Council hosted The Future of Food: Eating Sustainably with Limited Resources as part of its series of workshops, Affirming & Envisioning Sustainable Practices at EdCC. To find out about the workshop contents and ideas generated, click Workshop Series.
The Sustainability Initiative website is maintained by a staff member of the VP for Workforce Development's dept. Please contact the webmaster if you see a problem with this particular website.
