Sodexo Contributes $3.22 Million to State's Economy through Vermont First

Sodexo puts its money where your mouth is by purchasing and using locally sourced products to prepare nutritious meals for students, faculty, staff and visitors at 10 universities in Vermont.

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Apr 11, 2016, 07:50 ET

GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Sodexo, a leader in delivering sustainable, integrated facilities management and foodservice operations, spent $3.22 million with Vermont food purveyors for its Vermont clients. This is the result of the first full year for Vermont First, a program the company launched in 2014 with the governor and state officials to increase the amount of local food purchased by Sodexo.

"Sodexo is working to drive positive growth in local communities and agricultural enterprises by helping local food producers sell more of their products to us," said Annie Rowell, the Vermont First coordinator for Sodexo. "It means better and fresher food for our clients and promotes agriculture in Vermont. Innovative dining programs that promote sustainability and local sourcing improve the quality of life for our customers—the students, company employees and patients and healthcare workers we serve."

Through Vermont First, Sodexo is tracking its local purchasing in greater detail than ever before, with the intention of using the data to inform the Vermont and regional supply chain.

Specific local food purchasing numbers from the analysis include:

Product	Percent Local
Bulk milk	64%
Yogurt	46%
Apples	42%
Bacon	24%
Vegetable proteins (tofu, tempeh)	42%

What's Raised in Vermont Stays in Vermont
Sodexo launched Vermont First as a commitment to Gov. Peter Shumlin and state Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross to increase the amount of local food purchased by large institutions in the state. Sodexo provides dining services for 10 campuses, three corporate accounts, and two healthcare accounts in Vermont.

The proof is in the maple bourbon ice cream with crispy apples, candied fennel stems, cranberry confit, butternut squash coulis and streusel. That was the winning entry by the St. Michael's team in the Sodexo-sponsored Localvore Cooking Challenge to promote Vermont First. Sodexo chefs from eight Vermont colleges faced off at St. Michael's College to create dishes using foods native to Vermont.

Other ways Sodexo is promoting Vermont First is by hiring Rowell as the local food coordinator, hosting a Vermont Stakeholder Forum at Castleton University and a series of meetings with producers on how to sell their products to Sodexo.

Sodexo recently expanded the Vermont First concept to Maine, offering the Maine Course program, which includes partnering with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) to purchase 100% responsibly harvested whitefish from the Gulf of Maine by 2020. Sodexo made great strides in the first six months of the program, with several locations already meeting the 100% purchasing goal.

In addition to local sourcing, Sodexo makes wellness a key focus by offering dining menus with Mindful by Sodexo recipes. The Mindful approach focuses on transparency of ingredients, delicious food and satisfying portions so that making Mindful choices becomes second nature.

Sodexo delivers more than 100 services across North America that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life.

Learn more at Sodexo Insights, visit Sodexo on Facebook and follow on Twitter @SodexoUSA

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SOURCE Sodexo