<llege food isn’t usually on the top of the list of things we celebrate, but according to this year’s Real Food Awards, it should be.
Katie McKenna, Bon Appétit’s General Manager at Carleton College is one of three finalists for a 2013 Real Food Award in the Dining Manager or Administrator. The Award acknowledges individuals who display outstanding leadership in an effort to create a more just and sustainable food system.
The Real Food Awards are facilitated by the Real Food Challenge, a national student organization working to leverage the power of colleges and universities–including the $5 billion spent on food in higher education–to support local, fair, ecologically sound and humane food economies. Awards are given to the finalists with the highest vote tallies in each of six categories: Student Group or Activist, Worker Leader, Food Service Administrator, Producer, University Ally, and Campaign Ally.
Real Food Challenge states that the Real Food Awards echo labor leader Dolores Huerta’s call to “honor the hands that harvest your crops” and to honor the hands that prepare our food, those who hear our calls for change, and those that propel our movement towards a real food economy.
“Bon Appétit and the students at Carleton have the same goals – bringing as much “real food” to the table as possible. It has been a pleasure to work with the students on the calculator and collaborating on ways to educate the Campus Community on these effor-ts!” said McKenna.
“Whether they’re standing up for dignity in the workplace, developing new tools for innovation in sustainable food, or showcasing the best 21st century ecological agricultural practices, these finalists represent a new hope for us all,” comments Anim Steel, Executive Director of the Real Food Challenge. “Right here is proof that change is possible — and delicious!”
Real Food Challenge is a national student organization dedicated to building a just and sustainable food system. The Real Food Challenge network spans 300+ college and university campus across the United States. Since its founding in 2008, the campaign’s primary goal has been to shift $1 billion in existing food spending by college and universities away from industrial agriculture and junk food and towards local, fair, ecologically sound, and humanely produced food – ‘real food.’ To date, Real Food Challenge campaigns have won over $50 million in real food purchasing commitments from leading colleges and universities.
Voting is open until April 17th. You can log on and vote at http://www.realfoodchallenge.org/programs/awards#voting.