Brown Dining strives to purchase locally grown and fairly traded foods through its Community Harvest program. From tangy cherry tomatoes on the Roots and Shoots line in the Ratty to freshly pressed local apple cider in the café carts, your taste BDS are sure to be pleased. Join us for weekend farm tours or at the Farmers' Market on Wriston, and you'll have the opportunity to learn where your food comes from.

Major milestones in the Community Harvest program have included:

• What's New 2008
  • Community Harvest reusable bags available for $5 in the Campus Market, Jo's, Little Jo's and the Gate
  • New publicity for $1 coffee and drinks with your mug
  • Lots of new After the Harvest waste reduction initiatives... details to come
• What's New 2007
  • Map of farms and small producers Brown buys from
  • Trials run of Oké fair-trade bananas in Blue Room muffins and in the Ratty. After the great feedback, we're working to buy them more regularly
  • Local Food Forum drew 200 farmers, chefs, schools and advocates for a day of networking
  • Student-run herb gardens are on hold while we focus efforts on a larger campus farm
  • Potatoes from Ocean State Potatoes, a locally owned company that sources from many RI farms
• For awhile now
  • Farmers' Markets on Wriston Quad bring farmers and local artisans on campus every Wednesday in the autumn
• Equal Exchange fair-trade coffees, teas, chocolate are available across campus
• Rhody Fresh local milk is now in the Blue Room, the Campus Market and the Ratty. The Ratty also features a Community Harvest Breakfast every Thursday with local eggs, breads and jams
• Local apples are available year-round from Hill Orchards
• Honey, tomatoes and peppers (in season) from Mello Family Farm
• Weekly harvest crews bring students to farms and fresh foods back to the dining halls
• Student-run campus gardens provide fresh herbs and zesty meals
• Farm Fresh Rhode Island collaboration was established
• The first Local Food Forum in Rhode Island was hosted by Brown Dining
• Brown Dining supports local family businesses like Autocrat and Seven Stars Bakery

Community Harvest is an exciting initiative not just for students but also for Brown Dining chefs and staff. Learn about the program's Mission and History or about where it's headed: Our Vision, Values and Goals. And we're always on the look-out for new ideas.

We're also keen on reducing waste on campus and increasing recycling. Find out more about changes we're making to reduce Brown's environmental footprint.

Every year, Brown Dining coordinates two campus-wide food drives.