What is BardEATS?

Guiding Bard’s sustainable food initiatives.

BardEATS (Education, Advocacy, Transparency, and Sustainability) is a collaborative partnership among Bard students, dining services, faculty, and staff committed to increasing food purchasing transparency, reducing waste, decreasing the College’s carbon footprint, promoting food access, and supporting local farms and sustainable products.

Our Partners

Bard Office of Sustainability

BOS works to enhance the sustainability of the College in its operations, academics, and outreach.

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Bard Dining

Bard Dining seeks out local and sustainable products and providers to improve our sustainable food options.
Bard Farm

The 1.25-acre, student-run Bard Farm supplies organic produce to Chartwells, the campus dining service.
Dean of Student Affairs Office

DOSA encourages undergraduates to actively participate in all aspects of our community, including campus-wide sustainability efforts.

Reducing Our Carbon Foodprint

Chartwells, the food service provider for Bard College, works in collaboration with BardEATS to help reduce food-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Currently, we are reducing GHG emissions by:

Reducing red meat consumption
Facilitating the shift to locally grown produce
Increasing plant-based options
Creating food waste reduction programs
Improving composting practices in the dining areas

BardEATS Food Days at the Montgomery Place Campus.

Increasing “Real Food” on Campus

BardEATS has been so effective that Bard met its pledge to purchase 20 percent “Real Food” (local/community based, fair, ecologically sound, and humane as defined by the Real Food Challenge) five years ahead of schedule, and recently upped its pledge to 25 percent by 2020. How did Bard Dining reach this goal? By supporting local Hudson Valley farms and business, including Bread Alone, Hudson Valley Fresh, Winter Sun Farms, Feather Ridge, and Wild Hive, among many others.

Bard: A Sustainability Case Study

Get Involved

BardEATS Council

If you’re interested in sustainability, farming, reducing waste, supporting local farms, food systems, or all of the above you’ve come to the right place. We care deeply about exploring these topics, and finding ways to engage with them.

BardEATS Programs and Initiatives

BardEATS operates a variety of mission-based programs that focus on sourcing, education, advocacy, and accountability. These include the Urban Cultivator, which grows microgreens year-round in the Campus Center; Teaching Kitchen; Choose Your Menu; and the annual Food Days series. Join the student-run Zero Waste Club and help reduce food waste through its food recovery program. Check out the Bard Office of Sustainability’s newsroom for more ways you can get involved!

BOS Newsroom