A poster on Carleton's Real Food Calculator Task Force created for the 2015 Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education Conference, created by Claire Kelloway
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AASHE Conference Poster
1. RealFoodRealCommunities:MobilizingStudentsandStaffAroundFoodProcurementReform
What is “real Food”?
Carleton Calculator task force
The Real Food Calculator, developed by the
non-profit Real Food Challenge (RFC),
represents a third party standard used by over 130
institutions of higher education. RFC defines “real food” as
ecologically sound, humanely raised, community based,
or fair. The rigorous standards for each category were devel-
oped in tandem with the Association for the Advancement of
Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).
Presented by
Carleton College:
Sarah Goldman
and Charlotte Beal.
Poster designed by
Claire Kelloway
Our Connection with Bon Appetit
The Calculator in the Classroom
FUTURE GOALS
Student
Coordinators
faculty
advisors
advisory
committee
• Calculator Volunteers
• Paid Work Study Positions
• Data Entry & Analysis
• Product Shift Research
• Center for Civic and
Community Engagement
• Sustainability Office
• Auxiliary Services
• Dining Services
• Administrators
Real Food Percentage 2010-2015
Harvest 2010
Feb. 2011
Harvest 2011
Feb. 2012
Harvest 2013
Feb. 2014
Harvest 2014
Feb. 2015
20%
24%
22%
28%
19%
39%
23%
At Carleton, the Real Food
Calculator has exceeded its initial
purpose of benchmarking the
dining hall’s sustainable food
purchasing. It fosters collabora-
tion between students and Bon
Appetit staff members to
promote a more sustainable,
transparent, and equitable
campus food system. Through
the Real Food Calculator, we have
been able to trace the impacts of
our individual and campus dietary
choices on local producers, communi-
ties, and the broader agricultural industry.
The results of the Real Food Calculator have helped us
determine feasible product shifts to improve the
sustainability of our campus food system. Our connec-
tion with Bon Appetit helps us to translate the calcula-
tor’s results into action. Bon Appetit has implemented
many of our suggested changes by identifying and
contacting producers. Here are some of the shifts that
Bon Appetit has made:
• Local frozen yogurt
• Organic granola
• Year-round local greens
• Increasing locally-sourced Turkey
The calculator data has also been used for academic
projects in a number of departments. Incorporating the
calculator into Carleton’s academic program allows stu-
dents to engage with the inner workings of the campus
food system and unpack the implications of the data in
a specific course of study. The following courses have
used the Real Food Calculator:
• Plant Biology (Biology)
• Statistical Consulting (Mathematics)
• Environmental Ethics (Environmental Studies)
• Economics of Cost Benefit Analysis (Economics)
• Increase amount of sustainably-sourced poultry,
meat, eggs, and beverages in dining halls
• Connect with more academic departments
• Educate students about the campus food system
through comprehensive displays of the data
• Research Carleton’s role in the regional food system
“The calculator has brought awareness ... it has shown folks
providing food to campuses that students care about their
food and the impact that farmers have in the local commu-
nity. Prior to the students asking the questions that need
to be asked in the process of completing the calculator, no
one was tracking where the food came from.”
- Katie McKenna, Carleton Bon Appetit Manager
“Carleton’s increased commitment to buying from local farm-
ers has made a big difference to our family farm business.
When we started selling to Carleton in 2013, their purchases
made up just 2.3% of our gross income...by this year Carleton’s
purchases accounted for 11.3% of our total gross! Having such
a consistent buyer right here in town, and knowing that
students are advocating for working with local farmers, is
more than just a financial boost to us--it’s an honor to have
such a solid relationship with Carleton’s Bon Appetit.”
- Betsy Allister, Spring Winds Farm
“The Real Food Calculator combined with the food service’s
goal of 20% local foods has created a platform from which
farmers have been able to make commitments to
planting crops, deploy a new scalable free-range poultry
system, and experiment with new farm systems ideas. These
factors change the foundation on which local farmers can
plan and grow their operations to build a new economically,
ecologically and socially regenerative food system.”
- Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, Main Street Project