At University Housing & Dining Services, we're committed to sustainable food sourcing. At our dining centers, cafes and campus markets, you'll find organic choices and food from growers around Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, as well as ingredients produced right here on campus. Learn more.
University Housing & Dining Services is part of the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative, a working group of scholars and experts in invited colleges and universities that was launched by the Culinary Institute of America, the Harvard School of Public Health, and Stanford University.
The vision of Menus of Change is to collaborate on research and education in support of culinary-centric, evidence-based food systems innovation within and beyond universities. The colleges and universities that make up the research collaborative are working toward healthier, more sustainable, plant-forward diets.
UHDS dining services is committed to sustainable food sourcing and offers a growing number of locally produced food and organic options.
Local: UHDS has four distinctions for local:
Organic: UHDS follows USDA standards when labeling or identifying foods as organic. Organic foods are produced without the use of irradiation, synthetic fertilizers, prohibited pesticides, and genetically modified organisms. Producers meet animal health and welfare standards, did not use antibiotics or growth hormones, used 100% organic feed, and animals are provided with access to the outdoors. For multi-ingredient foods, 95% or more of the ingredients must be certified organic.
Natural: Since the FDA has not developed a standard for natural, UHDS defines natural foods as not containing added color, artificial flavors, preservatives, synthetic substances (high fructose corn syrup), and no added growth hormones or antibiotics ever.
Natural Beverages: At Five Four One restaurant, UHDS only serves natural beverages. In addition to the standards above, these standards are also followed:
Natural Beverage Offerings Include:
Sustainable Seafood: UHDS is committed to purchasing sustainable seafood based on recommendations from Monterey Bay Seafood Watch and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) Fish Watch standards. Sustainable seafood is defined as seafood that has been farmed or fished in ways that promote the sustainability of the oceanic ecosystem and the long-term vitality of several marine species.
Fair Trade Certified: Fair trade certified products are socially and environmentally sustainable.
*Some local items, such as fresh produce, are available only when in season.
Item | Where to find it | Source |
---|---|---|
Beaver Classic Cheese (OSU Campus) | Tomassito's, Five Four One | |
Bob's Red Mill quinoa and oats (Milwaukie) | all dining centers, Cascadia Market | |
Callahan Food Forest produce (OSU Campus) | Five Four One | |
Camas Country Mills flour (Junction City) | all dining centers | |
Don Froylan cheese (Albany) | La Calle | |
Kenagy Farms asparagus (Hubbard) | all dining centers | |
Monster Cookie Co. cookies (Eugene) | EBGBs, Cascadia, Bing's, Mainsqueeze | |
Nearly Normal's vegan sunburgers (Corvallis) | Calabaloo's, Southside Station @ Arnold grill | |
Norpac vegetables (Oregon & Washington) | all dining centers | |
Oregon Natural Meats beef (Eugene) | Calabaloo's, Southside Station @ Arnold grill | |
Pacific Foods soup & soy milk (Tualitin) | all dining centers | |
Red Hat Melons (Corvallis) | all dining centers | |
Riverwood Orchard apples & pears (Monmouth) | all dining centers | |
Spring Valley dairy products & eggs (Eugene) | all dining centers | |
So Delicious coconut milk yogurt (Springfield) | Cascadia Market | |
Truitt Family Foods beans (Oregon & Washington) | all dining centers | |
Willamette Valley Cheese Co. cheese (Salem) | Cascadia Market | |
Willamette Valley Fruit Co. blueberries (Salem) | all dining centers |
Watch how local Willamette Valley berries make their way to diners across campus.
Watch and see how Oregon State University chefs turn campus-grown veggies and ingredients from around the Willamette Valley into meals for Beaver Nation.
Watch how this student-made product is used in Oregon State University dining centers.
Watch how local, organic vegetables make their way from one Albany farm to dining center tables in Corvallis.