Antioch College has once again been recognized by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) as a top performer for both the College’s food and dining and grounds programs in AASHE’s 2019 Sustainable Campus Index.
The College also was ranked number 5 in the nation, and the only school from Ohio, by the Sierra Club’s Cools Schools list for dining. As an Area of Practice for the College, sustainability is lived and applied throughout the experiences of students, faculty, and staff on campus, and often off campus as well.
Antioch College achieved top performer status by earning a high score in the Grounds and Food & Dining subcategories in STARS. The Antioch College Campus Landscape Master Plan specifies management without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. Native plantings and bio-retention methods are used across the campus, which, along with the Antioch Farm, serve as learning spaces as well. The Antioch Farm, which comprises nine acres of growing and grazing land, uses campus leaves, vegetable dining scraps, animal manure, and other local “waste” products to create a nutrient-rich soil. Farming methods used at the Farm meet the USDA organic standards, and are also informed by ecological, biodynamic, and permaculture practices. Innovative practices, like the College’s solar sheep, provide multiple benefits to the landscape and students’ learning.
We prioritize direct purchases from local small farmers and organic growers. The Antioch Kitchens participate in the Real Food Challenge, serving 56% real food. Food from the Antioch Farm is harvested for campus dining halls while classes are in session, and at least 28% of the locally sourced seasonal produce served in the dining halls is raised on the Farm. On-campus dining at the College is institution-run and hires student employees. Our Kitchens staff have examined and analyzed issues surrounding our modern food system and provided goals in response to those issues, including serving only in-season foods and providing equitably priced meals to students.
Read more about farm-to-table dining at Antioch College and watch our students discuss sustainability as a practice.
