Sustainable Sourcing Strategy

We aim to source at least 30% of our food products from third party certified vendors. Learn more about our sourcing standards and community-based partnerships.

Sustainable Sourcing Strategy

Deacon Dining is at the forefront of sustainable sourcing within higher education. Recognizing that the way food is produced impacts communities and the environment, and taking charge of the role we play, we aim to purchase ingredients that increase the health and wellbeing of people, animals, soil, and ecosystems during their production. By prioritizing third-party certified products and supporting sustainably operating small-scale farmers, primarily those within a 250 mile radius of campus, we build trust and transparency in the origins of our food, ensuring it is cultivated with care.

Third-Party Sourcing 

Deacon Dining is committed to sourcing at least 30% of our products with third-party certifications in alignment with standards set by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System.  Third-party certifications are verified claims provided by independent organizations or entities uninvolved in the production of food items. Deacon Dining follows the guidance of AASHE STARS 3.0 on third-party certifications whose standards range from agricultural practices and animal welfare to trade and labor. Accredited food items have lesser negative environmental and human health impacts than non-certified items. 

Our Strategy: We focus on buying animal products, such as beef, pork, poultry, and eggs that possess one or more qualifying third-party certifications. For example, we predominantly purchase beef products from Brasstown Beef, all of which are G.A.P. Animal Welfare Certified Step 4, ensuring their cattle are raised in a manner that mimics their natural environment.   

Our Most Common Certified Products:

USDA Organic

Alderfer’s Organic Eggs

Larry’s coffee

Numi tea

Boar’s Head Deli turkey

Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative

Alderfer’s Organic Eggs

Stonyfield yogurt

Busy Bee Honey

War Eagle Grits and Oats

Larry’s Coffee

Tractor Beverage

Blue Ridge Bucha Kombucha

NUMI tea

Twin Oaks Tofu

Produce from Vernon (Changes on rotation)

Produce from 4P (Changes on rotation)

Regenerative Organic Certified

Timeless Foods Chickpeas

Fair Trade Certified

Larry’s coffee

Numi tea

AsoGuabo bananas

Certified Humane

Alderfer’s Organic Eggs

South Mountain Creamery eggs

Murray’s Chicken

Niman Ranch pork, beef, lamb

GAP Step 4

Brasstown Beef

Joyce Farms beef

Joyce Farms poulet rouge chicken (only the poulet rouge)

Animal Welfare Approved

Joyce Farms pork

Lady Edison ham

Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC)

Sixty South Salmon

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)

ACME smoked salmon

*our third-party certified products and partnerships change according to our needs and strategy. For a full list of our current certified products, please reach out to dining@wfu.edu

Promoting Smallholders

Deacon Dining aims to tell the story of every meal we serve. Where our ingredients come from and how they are produced are integral elements to each story. Through working with smallholder farms, we are able to include ingredients sourced just miles away from farmers, which is integral to an equitable food system. We work closely with 4P Foods, a local produce supplier dedicated to creating a regenerative and fair food system. The company connects numerous small, family-owned farms with larger consumers such as universities and corporations. We have entered several commitments with specific farmers to purchase a set amount of their product every single week for a semester. This allows these farmers to have security in their business, knowing 100% of their harvest will be purchased.