Unity College Keeps Food Local, Quality High, Bucks Trend of Corporate Outsourcing 

Unity, Maine – On any given day the Unity College cafeteria features a vast array of choices, including made-to-order cuisine, vegetarian options, soups, an enormous salad bar with local ingredients, and various entrées.

     What is less apparent is the buy local approach of the cafeteria, the strong input into menu choices and food preferences by the student body, focus on sustainability, and the one aspect that brands the entire operation a virtual outlaw: the college owns its own dining services.

     At a time when the majority of colleges of all sizes have outsourced their dining services, Unity College has remained steadfast in maintaining its own dining services.

     “I truly believe that cuisine is a big part of what students look for when they pick a college,” said Paul Munro, Production Manager with Unity College Dining Services.  Part of maintaining the highest level of service, food quality and responsiveness to student preferences is eschewing the corporate approach to college dining services.

     “Our students are more and more aware of and interested in where their food is coming from, said Sustainability Coordinator Jesse Pyles. “Our independence gives us greater flexibility to purchase locally grown and organic food, an option frequently limited in corporate dining services.”

     College employees also take advantage of the exceptional dining service.

     “Employees of Unity College are big fans of dining services,” said Rob Constantine, Vice President for College Advancement.  “Most take full advantage of both dining center locations on campus.”

     He added that dining services has played an important role in the expanding facilities rental aspect of the college, which beginning in the summer of 2010 will host the Maine Arts Camp among other groups.

     Each year Unity College finds ways to purchase an even higher percentage of local food to be served by its college owned dining services.  A centerpiece of this “buy local” approach is the annual hunters and huggers dinner for students and members of the Unity College community.

     The title of the dinner is a nod to Unity’s unique background.

     Founded in 1965 by Unity area residents, the environmental College has from the start attracted a blend of students who are interested in hunting and related sportsmen’s activities, and those who are more focused on organics, agriculture and environmental activism.  The two groups have blended well into a College that encourages diversity of environmental perspective and collaboration, thus the name of the “buy local” dinner, “hunters” and (tree) “huggers.”

     The Hunters and Huggers dinner was held on Tuesday, September 29.  The menu drew from locally grown foods, including foods harvested from the gardens on the college campus.

     “We first use anything available in the college garden and then turn to food purchased from local farmers,” explained Director of Dining Services Sandra Donohue.  “Crown of Maine (food purveyors) is a co-op that supplies us with products from all over the state including wheat grown in Aroostook County.  This is a big annual event for the College dining services and one which validates our fundamental commitment to sustainable, buy-local approach.”

     The dishes served were Tomato Brushetta (Borealis bread, Maine raised tomatoes); assorted Maine cheeses (Crown of Maine); Roast of Venison (Edger & Patty Dobic of Sanford, Maine); Bison Chili (Kenerson Farm, Solon, Maine); Lobster Newburg (Maine lobster); Vegetarian Beet Feta Stackers (Crown of Maine, beets, feta); Vegan Paella (Crown of Maine, vegetables and beans); Roasted Red New Potatoes (local Unity farmers); Ginger Honey Glazed Carrots (Crown of Maine); local Borealis Breads; Raspberry Cranberry Crisp (Crown of Maine); and Indian Pudding (Crown of Maine, cornmeal).

     The dinner was the idea of Assistant Dining Services Manager Lorey Duprey.  Her vision was to incorporate Maine’s local food systems and its history into the recent buy-local trend through a special event.

    Unity College is a small private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources.  Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community.