CRAFTSBURY COMMON, Vt. — Sterling College, already known for growing 20% of its own food on campus, has been confirmed as the top college in the U.S. that eats food that is local, sustainable, humane, and fair-trade.
This ranking comes from the Real Food Challenge, which surveyed over 160 colleges and universities throughout the U.S.
After reviewing all of the food used in the Sterling College kitchen from June 2013 to June 2014, the college found that 76% of its food met the real food qualification for production methods. In comparison, the next-highest ranked institution eats only 34% real food.
“This is a significant achievement, and it reinforces that our entire community is invested in solving the biggest issues of the 21st century: our food, our water, our air, and our energy,” said President Matthew Derr. “We have one of the first sustainable agriculture programs in the country, and our students are tackling how to redesign the nation’s food system into one that is just, fair, and doesn’t exacerbate climate change.”
He continued, “We are leaps and bounds ahead of other higher education institutions on this issue because of our long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and our ecological approach to farming and food systems.”
Students are gratified and excited about the findings. Sterling College students work on the on-campus farm and have a significant say in what food is served on campus. “We keep Sterling special by growing a lot of our own food on campus and by not having vending machines here,” said Jesse Keck ’16. “I was happy to learn that we had raised our real food consumption up from last year’s 73%. But being number one in the country shows that we’re not just studying environmental stewardship and sustainable food systems: we’re living it.”