Food

It was a head-to-head competition until the bitter end, but ultimately, Cabot/Pfoho Kitchen outperformed Quincy to become the 2008-2009 Green Skillet Champs! With a 24.3% reduction in natural gas use, a 5.3% reduction in electricity use and nearly 75% Sustainability Pledge participation, the winning kitchen was a tough competitor.

On a dreary March afternoon, Roy Lauridsen, Harvard Divinity School’s Facilities Manager, stopped me outside of his office. A group of students, he told me, had gotten the idea of putting in a garden somewhere on the grounds of Harvard Divinity School–but most had never done any gardening. Would I be willing to help? I accepted without hesitation.

The Kennedy School green team is greening the Malkin Penthouse balcony with a community garden! See all the pictures...

HKS has gotten a little greener this spring with the addition of the new HKS Community Garden on the Malkin Penthouse balcony. The idea for the garden came from a group of students in a food & policy group led by Zara Snapp. They teamed up with some HKS Green Team members who had gardening expertise, and the garden came to life in a matter of weeks.

The office buildings at 46 Blackstone Street, home to Harvard's UOS Department, began composting in March 2008. Small green buckets were placed in every kitchen and kitchenette to collect compostable wastes and composting will take place at all Blackstone barbecues.

When super busy Harvard Law School (HLS) students dashed into the Harkness Commons for a bite between classes on a Wednesday afternoon this past September, something made them stop and slow down for once; ironically it was “slow food.” The slow food movement is one that emphasizes a diet made up of food that’s good for people and the planet.

On St. Patty's Day (the perfect day to celebrate all things green), the energy conscious students of Morris Hall had a nice spread awaiting them at the 4th Annual Reduce Your Juice Award dinner. After winning the energy competition at the end of the fall semester, Green Living Rep Jenny Liu planned a tasty thank you for her friends and neighbors.

It was a fight to the end, but in the end, Leverett House took home the 2007 Green Skillet, crushing any dreams Quincy House had of being a two-time champion.

Patrons of the café at Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) are getting some effective green messaging along with their meals thanks to new signage spotlighting the environmental and social benefits of the products they buy.

On September 11, 2008, a total of 60 grill orders were left abandoned in Cabot and Pforzheimer dining halls. Plates of chickwiches, cheeseburgers, bean burritos, grilled chicken breasts, and Boca burgers all waited patiently to be claimed, but to no avail. Food was ordered but ultimately forgotten. This was food waste at its worst.