Winter 2023 Campus Dining Today - 29

Stony Brook Eats
advances change for
a greener campus
community
Angela Agnello
senior director
of marketing &
communications,
Stony Brook University
Faculty Student
Association
Stony Brook University (SBU) Eats
strives to provide an exceptional dining
experience that is environmentally
responsible through programs such
as the community garden, operating
a hydroponic freight farm, purchasing
seasonal produce and local seafood,
composting kitchen food waste, and,
the newest initiative, the SBU Eats Goes
Green reusable container program.
These initiatives have a long-term impact
to achieve a better and more sustainable
future for all SBU Seawolves, according
to Diana Walker Kubik, executive director,
SBU Faculty Student Association.
" Our mission is to help Stony Brook
University lead the change to reduce our
environmental footprint every day and
to create programs for students to grow
healthy ingredients, facilitate educational
and research opportunities, and provide
a mentoring program that connects our
staff with students to give them a fun
interactive experience outside of the
classroom, " Walker Kubik said.
SBU EATS GOES GREEN
REUSABLE CONTAINERS
SBU Eats offers a reusable take-out
container program at its East Side and
West Side dine-in locations. While the
program was originally piloted last year,
it was officially launched this semester,
giving every student on a meal plan the
opportunity to receive a complimentary
reusable container. This initiative helps the
dining program to be more sustainable and
move away from disposable containers.
Together, the campus community has the
potential to prevent 2.5 million take-out
containers from being added to the landfill
and to reduce the dependency of fossil
fuels, landfill waste, and SBU's carbon
footprint.
FREIGHT FARM
SBU was the first higher education
institution in the United States to launch
a Freight Farm on a college campus.
The Freight Farm is an all-weather steel
constructed freight container converted
into an automated hydroponic farm. As part
of the SBU Eats dining program, delicious,
nutritious, leafy greens such as Bibb lettuce
and radishes are grown without sunlight,
soil, or pesticides year round. The Freight
Farm provides students with the experience
of eating the food they grow while
enhancing their knowledge of sustainable
agriculture, gives them a hands-on learning
opportunity outside the classroom, and
inspires them to be more sustainable in their
lives.
COMMUNITY GARDENS
The community gardens are spaces where
students can volunteer their time to connect
with other students while applying the
principles of leadership, sustainability, and
wellness. Campus gardens offer handson
gardening activities that beautify the
campus and empower students with
opportunities to cultivate a culture of
sustainability.
Students that join the Community Garden
Club organize fun volunteer opportunities
such as " Adopt-a-Seed " and " Decorate a
Pot " pop-up events. They also transplant,
mulch, weed, plant, and educate others
through gardening activities. Part of their
mission is to combat food insecurity in
the community, which is why they harvest
and donate some of the seasonal produce
NOURISHING A GREENER FUTURE
| CAMPUS DINING TODAY
29
Winter 2023 Campus Dining Today

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