Press Releases

Bates College Receives Third Annual $5,000 Grant from the Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability

Sep. 30, 2009

TROY, OH – September 30, 2009 – The Fellows with the Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability (HCFS) announced today that they awarded a $5,000 grant to Bates College Dining Services for its comprehensive approach to foodservice sustainability. This marks the third year for the HCFS grant. Additionally, Bates College Director of Dining Services Christine Schwartz was named an HCFS Fellow.

Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, was judged as having the best sustainability program from among numerous entrants nationwide, which included K-12 schools and higher educational institutions, healthcare and hospitality facilities.

“Every year the level of participation and interest in sharing sustainable practices continues to expand,” says Rick Cartwright, vice president, ITW Food Equipment Group, and HCFS Fellow. “We received many submissions, but in terms of overall impact, Bates College stood out as a best-practice example showing a broad level of impact across many aspects of sustainability.”

Prompted by a generous gift from an anonymous donor, the opening of a new dining facility and the passion on the part of students to know more about the foods they were eating, Bates College undertook a yearlong initiative to explore connections between the dining program, food and the educational mission of the college itself. “Nourishing Body and Mind: Bates Contemplates Food” was launched in September 2008. Overall, Bates College decreased energy consumption and water use, reduced solid waste, and implemented a Farm-to-Fork program, expanding the purchasing of local, sustainable foods. From these initiatives, Bates College realized an annual saving totaling more than $80,000.

“Bates, like many colleges, believes that the environment must be taken into consideration when purchasing, creating, delivering and serving food products. And our dining program has integrated environmental stewardship into every decision regarding dining and food services,” says Schwartz, who will help select future operations for grant recognition while serving as an HCFS Fellow. “We are committed to continuing to develop the Bates Contemplates Food initiative and are grateful for the funds from the HCFS to assist us in doing so.”

As the HCFS 2009 recipient, Schwartz will provide further detail on Bates College’s Contemplates Food initiative during a webinar to be held Thursday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m. EDT. HCFS Fellow Richard Young, senior engineer, Food Service Technology Center, will also participate in the webinar. To sign up for the webinar, visit http://food-management.com/webinars/. Schwartz is also invited to attend the 2009 Greenbuild Expo to be held November 11-13, in Phoenix, Ariz., where she will accept the $5,000 grant award. More information about the HCFS, its mission and leadership can be found by visiting www.hcfsforum.com.

About Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability
The Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability (HCFS) provides thought leadership and counsel for the foodservice industry’s drive for sustainable design and execution. The HCFS serves as a forum for foodservice directors and their builders, designers and contractors to share case studies of their new ideas and accomplishments in foodservice sustainability. The leadership of the HCFS consists of Fellows from throughout the foodservice industry who have established their expertise and experience in the industry’s move toward sustainable design. The Fellows include Michael Berning, director of sustainable design and principal, Heapy Engineering; Rick Cartwright, vice president and general manager of retail systems, ITW Food Equipment Group; John Turenne, founder and president of Sustainable Food Systems; Richard Young, senior engineer/director of education, Food Service Technology Center; and Scott Berlin, UC Santa Cruz’s director of hospitality and dining. To promote new thinking in sustainable design, the HCFS has established a $5,000 grant for the most innovative and impactful new concept and execution of a sustainable design project. More information about the HCFS is available at www.hcfsforum.com.