Penn State offers and encourages sustainably farmed food on campus in three main ways:
- The Student Farm produce, the bulk of which is picked and packed by students, prioritizes sales straight to campus dining. Managing chefs in the five dining commons place weekly orders with the farm from the farm pick list.
- The Food Services Sustainability webpage describes Penn State priorities as supporting local vendor purchasing and describes its partnership with the Student Farm as a main way to bring hyper-local produce to the dining commons. See the “Local Foods” section for descriptions of impacts related to local foods and sustainably farmed choices.
- The Green Events guide offers guidance on sustainable event planning which includes a focus on seasonal and local food options.
While there is no formal plan in place, purchasing has been asked to work with vendors that prioritize sustainability and social responsibility. Vendors should provide transparency regarding sourcing, labor, and environmental activities. For example, Do they have sustainability goals? Emission reduction goals? Do they have an ESG report available?
