C A M P U S D I N I N G M AG A Z I N E
Seven
Ways to Celebrate National Garden Month
Modern Day
Cowboys:
Do They Really Exist?
Honoring Mother Earth: Earth Day 2022 National PB & J Day:
Different Takes on a Classic Sandwich
A Huge Problem: How We Can Help Reduce Food Waste
APR
2022
As a food service provider
, Thompson
Hospitality is constantly reminded that all that we do begins with Mother Earth. From fresh ingredients, resources and people, we’re appreciative for the bountiful gifts that the Earth supplies. During April, we’re focused on practicing sustainability, preventing food waste and initiating food activism in an effort to give back to a source that abundantly provides to us. This year, Earth Day falls on Friday April 22nd. In order to celebrate, our team has developed thoughtful, informative and fun-filled programs including our annual Garden Give Back event. Students will have the opportunity to give back to the Earth, build community with campus organizations and enjoy a fresh meal prepared by our dining team. Through this program, we hope that guests are able to develop a newfound appreciation for Earth that will ultimately influence the way that they interact with the environment in the future. In addition, Thompson Hospitality is taking additional steps to implement more sustainable practices within our dining halls. From reducing waste to using compostable materials, Thompson Hospitality strives to lead by example and take aggressive action to reduce our own carbon footprint. By working together, we can all make a positive impact in saving our planet and encouraging those around us to do the same. Even if a small step at a time, our intentional efforts will positively help us move
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Six Ways to Celebrate
National Garden Month In 2015, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack declared April as National Garden Month, commemorating the hard-working gardeners that make a difference through horticulture. The month began as a celebration within the USDA and its partners, but over the years, it has gained lots of traction with individual gardeners nation-wide. Today, thousands of individual and community gardeners come together to share their stories during the month of April. There are so many reasons for celebrating the value of gardening, and how it can become a holistic lifestyle. Here are six ways for you and your peers to celebrate National Garden Month!
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Start Your Own Garden
If you’re really feeling the spirit, you can use this month to start your own garden! Whether it’s a single-pot plant or a full-on nursery, spring is the best time to get your garden started right. Before you get started, make sure to evaluate your climate zone, decide what seeds to get, test your soil and build your bed (or pot).
Buy Local
Buying local foods is a great way to support small businesses and invest in the community, both socially and economically. Local foods are also more likely to be fresh, and never frozen. Buying local is great for the environment, in that it reduces carbon waste from transportation and freezing methods. See what your community has to offer today!
Visit a Farmer’s Market There are gardeners near you that are putting in loads of work to produce great tasting foods. Farmer’s markets are the easiest say to discover community gardeners, and they are more than excited to share their produce with you. You could find a new grocer and a new friend all in one visit!
Protect Pollinators
As scary as they may be, bees, moths, beetles, birds and other animals are responsible for pollinating all of the Earth’s plants. The pollination process is what keeps many gardeners’ plants healthy, and ensures that they produce bountiful harvests. Instead of harming them, be sure to look out for them.
Plant Trees
Trees are the biggest contributors to the state of the environment. Besides providing oxygen, they work to improve the air quality, preserve soil and conserve water. By planting trees, we can improve the environment, thus, making it better for individual and community gardeners to get started on their own projects.
Pick Up Litter
Plants need soil that is full of nutrients to grow strong. Most of the trash that litters the ground is not biodegradable, meaning that it contaminates the soil. These toxins seep into the ground, and choke out the roots of plants trying to grow. Take the time to pick up litter if you see it — it could help a plant become a little bit taller!
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National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day
Different Takes on a
Classic Snack
The infamous peanut butter and jelly sandwich has been around for centuries. Whether you use grape or strawberry jelly with your smooth or chunky peanut butter, the legendary lunchbox classic is a quick and easy meal for everyone. People love it so much, that they’ve created some pretty tasty alternatives. Here are some new takes on the iconic lunch room staple!
1. PB&J Bars Tired of ordinary brownies? Looking for a new party snack? PB&J bars are the perfect snack for you! After preheating the oven, make brownies like you normally would, but replace the cocoa powder with 1-2 cups of smooth peanut butter and jelly each. You can added chopped peanuts on top as a garnish. After 45 minutes, you’ll have a perfect batch of peanut butter and jelly bars to wow the crowd.
2. Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast Bring your favorite lunchtime meal to breakfast with peanut butter and jelly French toast! After making the egg mixture (with smashed bananas for extra flavor), take a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and dip it in the mixture. Make sure that the sandwich is well coated, and place it in a pan over medium heat. Once it’s golden brown on both sides, serve it with powdered sugar and maple syrup to get the day started right!
3. PB&J Cups Peanut butter cups are already a wildly popular candy, but these PB&J cups are the next level. First, you’ll want to line a muffin tray with cupcake liners and melt some good quality chocolate in a saucepan. Once that’s done melting, fill the muffin tins about halfway with melted chocolate. Add a teaspoon of peanut butter and a teaspoon of jelly, and top it off with more chocolate to fill the tin. Place that in the freezer for at least an hour, and you’ve got some delicious treats!
4. Peanut Butter and Jelly Protein Smoothie Smoothies are a yummy way to get proteins and other nutrients, so what better way to enjoy it than as a peanut butter and jelly smoothie? In a blender, add peanut butter, jelly, protein powder (optional), ice and milk. You could also use greek yogurt or oats to serve up this tasty refreshment!
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Honoring
Mother Earth Earth Day 2022 The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, after Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin and his fellow representatives held a teach-in on college campuses to broadcast to the nation. They recruited young activists all over the country to organize teach-ins about the environment at their respective campuses. They chose to hold it on April 22. During the next few years, Earth Day became popular among environmental advocacy groups. As forest fires became a little too common and oil spills became a little more prominent, people began to understand the importance of environmental advocacy. After 1970, the Environmental Protection Agency was established — and what followed was an influx of environmental laws.
By 1990, Earth Day had become a global movement. Over 200 million people in 141 countries came together to raise awareness about the Earth’s issues. At the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit, Earth Day received a huge boost in followers. Those around the world continued to come together each year to discuss global warming, air and water pollution, recycling efforts and sustainability. 6 ||
Today, the climate crisis is more present than ever. Wildfires have scorched miles of land and displaced thousands of families from their homes. Floods are wreaking havoc on all coasts. Air and noise pollution have reached an all-time high. If anything is going to change, it needs to happen now. Earth Day is not only our opportunity to give thanks to the Earth, but it is our chance to give back to it.
So, how do we do that?
On an individual level, people are taking the responsibility into their own hands. People worldwide are reducing, reusing and recycling resources as best they can. They’re buying electric cars, installing solar panels and creating small change where it is possible.
Paper straws and recycled clothing aren’t the only things saving the environment. Companies worldwide are pledging to reduce their carbon footprints on a yearly basis. Through sustainable packaging and shipping, they could dramatically bring down the rate of air and water pollution. Paperless modes of operation have also played a large role in reducing waste.
It should be a part of our culture, as humans, to save our planet from the damaging effects of climate change. It is our responsibility to each other to curb climate change through individual and community acts.
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To Check Out
THTV
APRIL. 2022 TH Teaches Empanadas (In Honor of National Empanada Day)
Chef Talk The Art of Food Activism
ONDEMAND
TV FOR COLLEGE
DINING
Modern Day
Cowboys
How They Came To Be The iconic horseback riders with the shining, silver spurs have made a name for themselves in the American South. From their widebrimmed hats to their twisted lassos, cowboys are some of the most recognizable figures in the country’s southernstates. Riding slow on their trusty steeds, cowboys began their odyssey to the states from across the Atlantic Ocean. The cowboy tradition originated in medieval Spain, where legions of horseback riders would find work all over the Iberian Peninsula as cattle ranchers. As the age of colonization commenced, the Spanish brought their cattle-raising practices to the colonies. Horses and cattle boarded boats by the dozen to make the long trek to the new-found land. In Mexico and parts of Florida, cowboys roamed the land and learned about their newly discovered territory. As settlers began moving west, they began to erect ranches, and the American cowboy began to take shape. They created their own nicheculture that became easily recognizable as the cattle industry boomed. The colonies eventually grew into the United States of America, and still, cowboys remained. Not only did they continue running the cattle industry, but they became nationwide celebrities. Once televisions became available to the public, Western TV shows were one of the first forms of entertainment they aired. Death Valley Days, The Lone Ranger and Wanted became some of the most popular television shows ever aired. Cowboys took on many looks in different regions of the country. Some rode Belgian horses and others rode Percheron stallions. Some wore their cowboy hats tipped to the side, and others kept their’s straight. Cowgirls began to emerge as some of the most spirited riders. The essential art of being a cowboy, however, remained the same. These same cowboys can be found roaming the grasslands today. Although the cattle industry continued to grow rapidly, the development of new technology diminished the need for cowboys. Large-scale corporations took control of the industry, using heavy machinery and drones. Today’s cattle ranching looks a lot different than it used to. Still, cowboys continue to populate the smaller ranches in the South. Many families pass down the cowboy tradition to their children, keeping it alive for generations. In places like Texas, Utah, Kansas and Montana, cowboys still work in groups large and small to operate their ranches. Making a living as a modern cowboy is challenging, but many have found it to be rewarding. Besides herding cows, the cowboy tradition is carried on by well-mannered individuals with humble spirits and a character of courage. The lifelong ranchers make their mark by solidifying their role in American culture. Cowboys take on all kinds of identities. In Mexico, vaqueros continue to observe many of the Spanish cowboy customs that existed when they first colonized the area. Black cowboys accounted for almost a quarter of the cattle ranching industry. In some states, you can still find African American communities where they use horses to travel and hats to tip to those they pass by. Despite the industrial growth of the nation, cowboys are alive and well in the U.S.
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A Huge Problem:
The dining hall is the one place on campus that probably gets the most traffic. It may also be the site of the most waste on campus. According to a 2019 study conducted by Bon Appétit Management Company and the Natural Resources Defense Council, colleges waste about 112 pounds of food per student each year. For a school with 5,000 in attendance, that’s 560,000 pounds of food in just one school year — and that doesn’t include the faculty and staff. These alarming statistics have fueled a nationwide debate on how to reduce waste on college campuses. Housing and feeding thousands of students a year is definitely a challenge, but it’s still our responsibility to keep the environment safe in the meantime. If you’re looking to reduce waste on your own campus, here are a few places to start.
Reducing Campus Food Waste Composting
Composting is the natural process of taking organic matter and turning it into enriching fertilizer. Compost consists of three things; “Browns,” like dead leaves and twigs; “Greens,” like fruit and vegetable scraps, and water. Besides fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, tea bags, nut shells and egg shells are other foods that canbe composted. Food isn’t the only thing that can be composted. The natural fertilizer can also be made from shredded newspaper, grass clippings, hay, wood chips and fireplace ashes.
Donating At many colleges, you’ll find a campus food pantry for those suffering from food insecurity. These pantries rely on donations from students and community members alike. It could be worth it to find a club or organization that is willing to work with the dining hall staff to donate some of their resources to the pantry as well. If your campus doesn’t have a food pantry, you could find a local food bank nearby. If you get the chance to talk to the manager at your dining hall, ask them how your campus can help those in need by donating food!
Sustaining Some schools are beginning to adopt sustainable modes of campus dining to completely revamp their efforts toward saving the environment. Instead of using plastic bags, you’ll find that most of the students are using reusable bags. To reduce food waste, these schools are limiting the amount of servings that are available, while still providing enough for those who want a certain dish. Some schools are even sourcing nearby producers to buy foods locally. Sustainable dining may be the biggest step that schools can take toward reducing campus waste. Get in touch with your dining services to see what they’re doing to eliminate unnecessary waste!
DINING EVENTS
The Garden Giveback: In Celebration of Earth Day In celebration of Earth Day 2022, join us for a gardening session that will be immediately followed by an outdoor garden dinner in honor of Earth Day. As spaces are limited, visit your dining hall to RSVP.
Ghost Kitchen: Hen Quarter Visit us as we transform our stations into some of our most popular ThompsonHospitality restaurants to provide you with a break from the normal dining menu. Enjoy“out of the box” recipes with this month’s Ghost Kitchen featuring Hen Quarter.
Birthday Bash: Mini Bundt Cakes Birthday Bash is our monthly opportunity to celebrate the birthdays of our guests and employees. Guests are invited to enjoy mini bundt cakes with their campus friends and family.
In My Bag: Build Your Own Seafood Boil Roll out the butcher paper, put on our best bib, turn up the tunes and dig in to your personalized seafood boil bag. With your choice of crab legs with shrimp and all of the fixin’s it’s going to be a good time!
Reduce the Waste Week As we continue to honor the Earth, guests are encouraged to reduce or eliminate waste in their everyday lives. During Reduce the Waste Week, students can text “Reduce the Waste” to our text messaging platform to be enrolled in the challenge and for a chance to win a prize.
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Marketing Contacts Cindy Horstman, Regional Marketing Director envelope chorstman@thompsonhospitality.com phone (804) 640–4136 Daniela-Gabrielle Smallwood, Regional Marketing Director envelope daniela.smallwood@thompsonhospitality.com phone (571) 444–7430