Fresh vegetables from Lewis Creek Farm, Leonardo's Gelato, American Flatbread Pizzas, cider from Champlain Orchards, and Alex's spicy pretzels... Although it looks like a list of menu items at one of our local restaurants, it is actually a sampling of the wide array of food choices students have access to in the Redhawk Café, Champlain Valley Union (CVU) high school's cafeteria. When Leo Laforce, CVU's food service director shared the long list of products he and his staff purchase locally for the meal program, my reaction was how fortunate the students are to enjoy good food produced locally. It certainly wasn't remotely similar to the menu served on the plastic trays that graced my high school cafeteria several decades ago. Purchasing local food as much as possible is clearly an important priority for CVU's food service, one that most faculty, administrators, and students appreciate.

Laforce and the CVU food service team deserve kudos for its strong commitment to sustainable practices. During seasonal months, CVU's own garden provides an array of fresh vegetables and herbs. Other popular items enjoyed in the café are Koval's Jet Bars, Eddie's Energy Bars, eggs from Shadow Cross Farm, Cabot cheese, yogurts and Stonyfield Products from nearby New Hampshire.

CVU's green ethic goes well beyond its purchases from local farmers and vendors. Included in a long list of "green initiatives" are regular recycling and composting. Washable bowls and plates have replaced foam products. Students are encouraged to fill up sports bottles from a water filtration system station rather than purchasing bottled water. Many students use the silver CVU water bottles that were sold throughout the year at an affordable price. Reducing the amount of plastic in our waste system is crucial and efforts like this should be applauded.

CVU has also taken part in the Farm-to-School local products trial and surveys, including local beef. Next year they are using a milk company that obtains over 90 percent of its milk from Vermont, including flavored milk free of high fructose corn syrup.

Buying local food when possible is only one of the many initiatives and programs CVU is engaged in as the school focuses more energy on sustainable practices. The Environmental Action Club has been busy this year. Faculty member Sarah Strack has done a great job helping oversee the club by providing guidance on several projects. Recently, Strack turned the reigns of the club over to Katie Antos Ketchum who promises to bring fresh ideas and maintain a strong commitment to environmental action. In an effort to help reduce carbon footprints and model best practices in sustainability, the club engaged in several Earth day activities. Members handed out free CFL light bulbs, collected old cell phones, and painted rain barrels used for water collection. Club members set up tables and colorful displays to entice students to learn more about environmental practices. During the spring, Strack's environmental seminar class and the environmental club participated in tree planting in the town of Hinesburg.

As another year wraps up at CVU, students, faculty, and administrators should feel proud of the ways they have modeled a more environmentally friendly way of life.

Change is never easy, particularly in large institutions; however, these changes large and small combine to make a huge impact.

We will be checking in with other local schools later this fall and provide information on environmental actions and initiatives. Leadership such as demonstrated at CVU let us know that we can make a difference in living a more sustainable lifestyle. Keep up the great work!