Queen’s is ranked third among Ontario universities for serving locally-grown foods on campus according to the 2018 Ontario Campus Food Report Card.  

An initiative by Meal Exchange, the survey reports on student satisfaction with locally-grown, healthy, sustainable, and accessible foods on Ontario campuses. Locally-grown foods include all food products sourced in Ontario. With over 2,500 students surveyed across 21 campuses, this result reflects Queen’s continued commitment to sustainability, health and wellness.

“We know that where food is sourced, how it is produced, prepared, distributed and handled all have an impact on our environment,” says Colin Johnson, Campus Executive Chef. “Queen’s Hospitality Services is committed to helping protect our community and environment through a variety of initiatives and purchasing local as much as possible is one of them.”

In 2017, Queen’s Hospitality Services purchased over $1.2 million worth of local products, including a variety of in-season produce from over 27 Ontario farms. During the 2017/18 school year, a total of 1 million free-range eggs and 75,000 pounds of potatoes were served.

“It’s nice to know where the food we’re eating is coming from,” says Emma Roberts (Artsci’19). “Sourcing locally really shows that Queen’s cares about the community and our impact on the environment, which makes me feel good about eating on campus.”

Queen’s Hospitality Services also supports student health and wellness through education campaigns, and various sustainability initiatives. These include partnering with the Vegan Pledge that supports students that decide to go vegan for the Month of March, and Chef’s Table, a monthly dish created by the campus chefs to highlight locally sourced foods.

In addition, Hospitality Services now offers paper straws and is charging 5 cents for plastic bags to help reduce waste on campus.

Faculty and staff can enjoy locally-sourced foods by loading funds onto their staff cards, a convenient payment option that is available at all retail and food service locations on campus. Queen’s Hospitality Services also offers catering, with a large selection of meals, breaks and beverages, for meetings and get-togethers.

Hospitality Services is working to expand local connections even further and is looking to partner with more Kingston-based businesses. To learn more, visit the Hospitality Services website.

To learn more visit mealexchange.com