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INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DINING

THE HOTCHKISS SCHOOL: The Hotchkiss School is an independent boarding school located in Lakeville, Connecticut. Founded in 1891, the school provides an education of academic distinction to 600 students in grades 9 through 12, and to a small number of postgraduates. Students at Hotchkiss come from across the United States and around the world. Graduates attend many of the most selective universities and colleges.

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Supporting our student both in and out of the classroom

  • Dining collaborates with the science department to teach fermentation

  • Dining events featuring make your own bread, butter, ice cream, pickles

  • Co-curricular opportunities for students to learn and work in the kitchen

  • Eco-Day environmental awareness activities

  • Specialized nutritional guidance for students and families

 

Supporting omnivore & carnivore diets on campus

  • All of our meat is sourced locally and humanely in New England

  • Salmon is always wild-caught Alaskan Sockeye

  • All beef is grass-fed, pork is pastured, chicken and turkey is antibiotic-free

  • 30% of our produce in the Fall semester is from the Hotchkiss Farm

  • Our students live, learn, and work with their food system through FFEAT

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Supporting vegan & vegetarian diets on campus

  • Vegan and vegetarian options are prepared separately for every meal

  • A variety of organic beans, organic great grains and lovely legumes like quinoa and lentils, are available daily in the Dining Hall

  • Both organic crunchy and regular peanut butter is available at every meal.

  • The salad bar features cheeses, grains and more than five plant based proteins daily

  • Specialty vegan items like cream cheese, mayonnaise and oat milk are available daily

  • Vegan foods like lentil pasta, vegan cheese and plant based dairy alternatives are always available

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OUR COMMITMENT TO REAL FOOD

In 2013, Hotchkiss became the first high school in the country to join the National Real Food Challenge; as of 2017 Hotchkiss proudly received a 60% Real Food Score. Today, Hotchkiss receives more than 60% its annual food supply from ethical, eco-conscious, local suppliers. Hotchkiss Dining works with Farms to New England (FINE) to help support, inspire and educate other institutions across New England to shift their purchasing to a more ecologically responsible model. Lastly, Hotchkiss is proud to collaborate with the State of CT, and the CT Farm to School Collaborative to influence the policy making in Hartford, to bring more CT grown foods to the public schools across the State of Connecticut.

Supply Chain Development

SUPPLY CHAIN DEVELOPMENT

Kendall Foundation Grant: Whole Animal Program

The goal of the Whole Animals for the Whole Region project is to increase direct purchase of beef and pork from farmers in New England by establishing the infrastructure and systems needed to purchase whole animals as opposed to individualized cuts, which can cost a farmer valuable processing time and storage space. By processing and storing in large volumes, the slaughter and processing of ingredients can occur during slower periods for small businesses allowing them to maximize their capacity.

Click Here to Learn More

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Growing Food for Our Community

Hotchkiss leads independent secondary schools in its commitment to providing local, ethical, and sustainable options in the dining hall — thanks, in large part, to the seamless connection between the Dining Hall and Fairfield Farm. In the Fall of 2018, Fairfield Farm supplied 32 percent of the School’s produce; 7% overall for the year We also partner with more than 30 family farms and artisanal producers in the region, supporting the local economy and working towards our mission of sourcing high-quality, low-impact food. We spend more than 60% of the food budget to local businesses. Each year, Hotchkiss offsets food waste by diverting about around 80 tons (160,000lbs) of compost to a dairy farm & compost facility located just 13 miles away from campus.

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CT Grown for CT Kids

CT Grown for CT Kids enriches the connection communities have with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools and early care and education sites... Click Here to Learn More

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OUR HARVEST BY THE NUMBERS (2018)

 

Total yield: 31,611 pounds of produce (totaling $72,917 in dining hall offset)

 

Donated: 2,389 pounds donated to the Community Food Pantry

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2018 Harvest Details:

  • February - 60 lbs

  • March- 148 lbs

  • April- 475 lbs

  • May- 939 lbs

  • June- 462 lbs

  • July- 1,509 lbs

  • August- 2,913 lbs

  • September- 8,215 lbs

  • October- 11,588 lbs

  • November- 3,779 lbs

  • December- 1523 lbs

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