Tasting the “fruits” of Sustainability

By: Lara Henderson ’19

Recently the Office of Sustainability hosted Lafayette’s annual Farm to Table dinner. The event was one of many during Earth Week focused on emphasizing the importance of individual actions on the environment. It also brought awareness to Lafayette’s sustainable food loop relationship with LaFarm.

Events like this are integral to college campuses, as many students have no idea where their food is coming from or why it matters. The event brought awareness to this topic by explaining the local source for all the food being served, and including signage on the environmental benefits of eating a vegetarian diet with low transport emissions – two important elements that contribute to people’s ‘carbon foodprint’. Similarly, a weight guessing contest introduced some students to the composting initiative at Lafayette, which is important considering Lafayette students on average create 50 total lbs. of food waste during every meal. During the first week (5 days) of food waste collection in Upper dining hall, over 750 lbs. of plate waste was collected for the composting program.

The event was a great free learning experience featuring delicious food. Lots of the food there was from our very own LaFarm, and all the other vendors represented were local and emphasize sustainability in their agricultural production. Some students learned about the opportunity to grow their own food at LaFarm, and were excited to embrace a more sustainable food loop beyond just the event diner. Overall, the event was a hit drawing big crowds and good times for all.