By Bina Peltz, Special to the Packet
While Princeton University is widely celebrated as a leader in academics, its leadership in the sustainable and local food movement is less acclaimed. However, with more than 60 percent of its food produced from local sources, Princeton is a pioneer among universities nationwide.
”When it comes to serving local and sustainable food, Princeton is ranked first in the Ivy League and in the top ten of universities nationally,” said Stuart Orefice, director of dining services at Princeton. “On the culinary end, Princeton dining was already viewed as a leader, so we felt that we should also become a leader in sustainable and local food.”
Prioritizing local food throughout campus, the university has built relationships with local producers and farmers. Princeton Dining Services exclusively purchases its pasta from Severino Pasta Company, located 48 miles away, and its blueberries from Blueberry Bill Farm, 55 miles away. The sole provider of the university’s chicken, Bell and Evans Chicken, is located 120 miles from campus and is committed to humane treatment of its animals.
”We’ve changed our philosophy in purchasing. When a new vendor comes into our office, our first question is not how much did it cost, but where did it come from,” Mr. Orefice said. “Our focus now is to have smaller partnerships with local vendors.”
Princeton’s interest in local and sustainable food began a decade ago when a grassroots student group, Greening Dining, pushed for more sustainable options. Acting as the student voice, Greening Dining continues to work closely with dining services.
”We raise awareness among students and see what they’re interested in. We try to represent students’ opinions on current and future sustainable initiatives,” said Princeton junior Adriana Cherskov, chair of Greening Dining.
The Princeton Garden Project is another student group working closely with Princeton dining in its commitment to local food. The Garden Project is a student-run, organic vegetable garden located on the grounds of Forbes College, a Princeton residential college.
Founded in 2009, the Garden Project provides its student-grown produce to the Forbes dining hall and organizes educational events for the campus.
”The university and Forbes has always been very supportive of the garden,” said Princeton senior Sarah Simon, the outgoing president of the Garden Project. “We aim to show the campus community that it’s natural and feasible for people to grow their own food.”
The garden holds open workdays where students work in the garden and learn to grow produce. Fostering relationships with the broader farming community, the project also organizes trips to local farms, which allows Princeton students to volunteer alongside the farmers.
Additionally, the Garden Project furthered its connections with the local community by inviting Princeton elementary school students to work in the garden and learn about sustainable food.
”It’s a constant struggle between emphasizing growing food and promoting food awareness through education. Right now we’re focusing on education because we’re still a small garden,” Ms. Simon said. Princeton’s involvement in the local food movement increased last year with the creation of the Real Food Co-Op of Mathey College, a student-run food co-op exclusively dedicated to locally and sustainably produced food. Created last spring and housed in Princeton’s Mathey residential college, the co-op was founded by students passionate about local and sustainable food.
”We’re discovering what it means to eat local in Princeton and how we can do it here at college,” said Princeton sophomore Damaris Miller, co-president of the co-op. Ms. Miller, who does the weekly shopping for the group, is still experimenting with different distributors and exploring different farmers markets. She now frequents the Trenton Farmers Market, which operates year-round and is cheaper than the Princeton Farmers Market.
”The closer a producer is located to Princeton, the better the quality of produce, but the higher the price,” Ms. Miller said.
At the Trenton market, she discovered Halo dairy farm, where the co-op now purchases all of its dairy products. Like Dining Services, the Real Food Co-Op has developed relationships with the local producers, though on a smaller scale.
”I always talk to the farmers at the farmers market and ask them where their food comes from,” Ms. Miller said. “I love that on any given night I can look at the dinner menu and list which ingredients come from which farm.”
While Princeton is dedicated to serving local and sustainable food, many students are still uninformed of Princeton’s involvement in this realm. Although surveys run by Greening Dining report that students are growing more aware of its sustainable initiatives, the university is focusing on increasing awareness among the students.
”It’s important for students to be connected to their food because it’s such a vital part of their lives. It’s too easy to be disconnected when we’re in class all day and grabbing food in the dining halls,” Ms. Simon said.

