Babson College And Local Colleges Partner With Mountain Dairy To Launch Entrepreneurial Endeavor Designed To Increase Local Food Sourcing On Campus

WELLESLEY, Mass., Dec. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Babson College is among the 2019 winners of the New England Food Vision Prize from the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, which seeks to encourage college and university campuses in the region to improve the health, sustainability, and vitality of the region's food system.

Babson College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), and Worcester State University (WSU), in partnership with Mountain Dairy, will use the $250,000 prize funds to support the local dairy farm's efforts to diversify and expand its operation into cheese production. In return, the partnering institutions will commit to purchase volumes to ensure a stable market for delivery of the new product.

All three colleges partner with Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services and use approximately 50,000 pounds of shredded mozzarella cheese each year. To fully supply this demand, Mountain Dairy would require an additional 500 pounds of milk, 20 dairy cows, 30 acres of land, and 380 tons of feed. This project has identified sourcing to fulfill this need, including 100% locally sourced feed. In addition, this plan would utilize as many as 60,000 pounds of skim milk annually that currently lacks a market.

"This new partnership resulting from the Kendall grants supports our commitment to local purchasing by preserving the American family farm while reducing the carbon footprint of our supply chain and giving back to local communities," says Nelson DeFigueiredo, Chartwells Northeast Divisional President. "The collaborative spirit between our campuses coupled with Babson campus partners will enhance student entrepreneurship programming into our business model."

"We are pleased to partner in this entrepreneurial endeavor with nearby colleges, with generous support from to Henry P. Kendall Foundation, to boost local agriculture while providing our students with quality, locally sourced food," said Dr. Lawrence P. Ward, Babson Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students.

About The Prize

The New England Food Vision Prize is designed to accelerate progress towards the New England Food Vision, a bold vision that calls for our region to produce at least 50% of our food by 2060, while supporting healthy food for all, sustainable farming and fishing, and thriving communities. The Prize is designed to support ideas that result in higher procurement of regional food by institutions, more regional food on campus menus, and increased demand for regional food by students while on campus and beyond the campus as alumnae.

Ideas for the Prize were required to be collaborative, meaning winning ideas had to represent two or more campuses working together. Ideas also had to be replicable and sustainable, applicable outside of the specific contextual factors of one campus or one period of time. Applicants also had to demonstrate how they would measure impact, and include elements of movement-building, such as growing demand or knowledge around regionally produced food.

"We are thrilled to have sparked such interest and creative thinking within just two short years," said Foundation Executive Director Andrew Kendall. "The winning teams and their partners are leveraging their purchasing clout in the marketplace together with engaging their students to create the consistent, long-term demand that local farmers, fishers, and ranchers need to sustain and grow their operations. We believe that the ideas represented by this year's winners reflect the kind of ingenuity needed to build a healthier, sustainable food system in New England."

The Henry P. Kendall Foundation is a New England philanthropic enterprise that is part of a strong and rapidly expanding network aiming to create a resilient and healthy New England food system. For a full list of prize winners, please visit kendall.org/prize.

About Chartwells Higher Education Dining Services

Chartwells is the recognized leader in contract food service management, hospitality and award-winning guest service in over 300 campuses in the United States. Chartwells' nutritious cuisine not only satisfies the unique appetites, lifestyles and dietary needs of every guest dining on campus, but it also brings people together to promote the high-intensity relationships that will prepare students for the future. For more information, visit www.ChartwellsHigherEd.com, www.ChartwellsMonthly.com, www.DineonCampus.com.

About Babson College

Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader of Entrepreneurship of All Kinds^®. The top-ranked college for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action^® as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value.

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SOURCE Babson College

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