Meeting Minutes – April 16, 2008

Present: Jim Dontje, Judy Douglas, Laurne Fulner, Lisa Heldke, Steve Kjellgren, Joe Lencioni, John Mattson, Al Molde, Kayla Tacke

Reports from Steve

• The “Seville Fair” held in the dining room on Wednesday, April 9, produced a healthy serving of positive response as well as “some of the usual grumbling” about the additional sound (entertainment) in the room. Committee members discussed the idea of having a certain number of “event days” during the semester, which organizations could apply to use for their organization.
• Intern Colin has done three “did you know” table tents and has picked up “Minnesota Grown” information from Steve. He’ll be going station by station to highlight local foods. [Note on April 23, 2008: that process has begun.]
  • Group members suggested a table tent about food costs that links them to rising worldwide prices
  • (Colin came later, and at that point he added to Steve’s announcements:
    • He is also working on some vendor spotlights.
    • He has received responses from several people interested in the Kitchen Cabinet
    • He is focusing his work on what the Dining Service is doing presently, without losing sight of what goals we should have.
• The to-go box juggernaut is unstoppable! We will definitely have reusable, returnable to-go boxes on campus in the fall. Sponsorship from campus offices and organizations would increase symbolic “buy in” into the program. Please suggest this idea to your organization, and contact Steve with your offers of financial participation in the program! No amount too small to make a symbolic contribution!
  • We need to contact Matt Thomas to put this idea into the news hopper.

From the PAs (Judy)

• The alternative dining experience in the Heritage Room was a success; the room was three-fourths full for the entire two hours of the event. People spent time with each other talking, and could avail themselves of the literature about purposeful eating.
• The week of the 21st, in coordination with the Greens, is “Eating Well for Body, Mind and Earth.” Another “alternative dining experience” is planned; other activities include bingo, tabling, talks, and free food from the coop.

From the Environmental Strategic Planning Working Group (Jim)

• A systematic effort to make information public about things such as energy usage—things we all “own.” An interest in creating “principles of use.”

Management Student Questions

• Two students from a management class came to interview the group about questions about local food choices. They are working in conjunction with the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota on a project to study the future of farming among young people.

Planning for next year

• The committee discussed next year’s intern program and agreed that a focus on nutrition could be a good choice.
  • Colin and John both identified themselves as good recruiters for new interns.
• The group also discussed how the Dining Service might contribute to the focus on China planned for next year college-wide.
• Dining Service minutes should go online, so that students and others with interest in issues with Dining Service can read a history of their issue in order to educate themselves about efforts that have already been tried.