Living Local

Living Local

Overview

The College makes every attempt to source the things we need from the local community.  This "local focus" not only reduces emissions associated with transportation, but it also supports a local community - one of the key factors in building a sustainable campus.  

Maine Lobster

Bowdoin College Dining Service is consistently ranked as an outstanding foodservice program by Princeton Review. In the past five years we have attained the #1 and #2 positions. Bowdoin does much of its own food processing on site, including operating its own bakery and butcher shop, to ensure high quality. Contributing to the excellent quality is a multitude of vegetarian options and a strong emphasis on local food. Naturally raised beef from local farms is frequently a menu selection. All our milk is from local farms and guaranteed to be free of growth hormones. You can't get much more local than producing food in Dining Service's own back yard - which is exactly what we have done - incorporating two MOFGA certified organic gardens that supplement the enormous quantities of produce used in our kitchens.

For more information see the webpage for Bowdoin's Organic Garden.

Over the past few years Dining Services has taken steps to limit waste production in a number of ways. Some of that reduction is due to an increase in recycling the large cans associated with food packaging; installation of a food pulper that extracts water from post consumer food waste; and purchasing items in bulk. Other steps include  giving food waste to a local pig farm, switching to single stream recycling, introduction of tray optional dining, computerized food production software and waste monitoring in our dining halls.The food scraps that were previously placed in municipal waste are now composted and used to fertilize Bowdoin's fields and gardens.

Bowdoin Organic Garden
Located on two plots, one at Crystal Spring Farm two miles away from Campus, the other on campus at South and Coffin Streets, the Bowdoin Organic Garden is about an acre in size and produces around 26 vegetable crops and 15 different herbs. The garden produces a wide range of products, from fennel and kale over 6 varieties of lettuce, to jalapenos, thyme, and zinnias. All of the produce is used in the two dining halls and in Jack McGee's Pub.

Other waste reduction techniques Dining Service has used includes putting unbleached napkins out in baskets on the tables - that way people only grab the amount they need - instead of grabbing multiple napkins while standing in the food serving line. Dining Service also encourages students to use a reusable mug when taking beverages from the dining hall by giving every first year student their own thermal travel mug and placing signs up in the dining hall that remind students of the benefits of bringing their own mug. We now use fully compostable paper service ware for commencement. We are using bulk water containers for catering instead of individual bottles.