The Western Washington University

Associated Students Club

Students for Sustainable Food

Real Food for Real Students.
Media Kit
Rachel Ronquillo, Alex Johnson, Sierra Tryon

Table of Contents
Media Backgrounder..... 3
FAQ..................................7
Feature Pitch..................8
Radio PSA.......................9
Press Release.................10

Students for Sustainable Food

Media Backgrounder
Press Contact: Melinda Vickers, (720) 438- 8007

Overview
Western Students for Sustainable Food (SSF) is a nonprofit Western
Washington University Associated Students club. They are dedicated to creating
change and bringing awareness to campus about food sustainability. Their overall
goal is to educate Western students and bring real food to campus. Real food is
defined as food that nourishes the producer, eater, community and environment.
They want to make finding healthy and good food a fun and accessible thing to do
on campus. They have a contract with Aramark, the company that provides dining
services for Westerns campus dining halls. There are ten active members in the
club and they are revamping their club and increasing membership. They have
multiple ideas and goals for increasing awareness and sustainability on campus
including a student operated food truck on campus, sustainable food education,
increasing composting on campus and more.

Current Activities:
The club is currently working for the Real Food Challenge, which is a
nationwide movement involving college students all across the country working to
bring more healthy options to campus, and minimize the amount of processed,
unnatural foods. They are working with WWU President Bruce Shepard on a
commitment to bring 30 percent real food on campus with a stretch goal of 40
percent by 2020. During spring quarter of 2013 the club got approval for campus to
bring 20 percent real food by 2020. Local dairies, orchards, farms and regional
supporters now work with Western to help reach that goal. They catered the Earth
day Bike Race on April 22 and created their own menu for the event. They also
catered an event on campus called the Green Tie Gala on May 21.

Key Terms:
Sustainability is defined as a system in which resources are used to their fullest
potential without jeopardizing the potential for people in the future to meet their
needs.

Food activism is defined as making a contentious effort to support local and

sustainable agriculture, and also becoming involved with spreading awareness
about sustainable food and living to the public.
Food sovereignty is defined as the right to healthy and culturally appropriate food
produced through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, and the right to
define their own food and agricultural systems.

Facts:
Local

Sustainable Connections in Bellingham hosts an Eat Local Month every year

where people are encouraged to shop and eat locally and there are events and farm
tours that promote sustainable eating. (Southerland 2014)

The Farm Fund grant program is a local program designed to support projects
that strengthen local, sustainable agriculture at large in Whatcom County. $22,000
in grants is given to local farms. (Community Food Co-op 2015)

Whatcom County is working on a Natural Resource Marketplace to offer a

stable structure for making a connection between market-based tools that will help
spread sustainable resources. (Whatcom Farm Friends 2015)

Since 2000, the Bellingham Co-op has dedicated a portion of its annual
donation budget to support sustainable agriculture. (Community Food Co-op 2015).
Regional

The Washington State House and Senate released their budget proposals and
are currently negotiating the final budget, but neither budget proposal includes
additional funding for WSDA Small Farms Direct Marketing or Farm to School
programs. (WSFFN 2015)

The Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network is asking for $1.5M
funding from the Washington State House and Senate to help schools get the
kitchen equipment they need to prepare wholesome meals and purchase more local
food from Washington farmers. (WSFFN 2015)

The Food Action Plan is a five-year plan that was adopted by the Seattle
mayor and City Council in 2013. The plan contains 40 actions that are to be
implemented by 2018. (Seattle Food Action Plan 2014)

Fresh Food in Schools increased access to healthy Washington-grown fruits

and vegetables for 137,000 school children, and school districts purchased over
$1,055,000 of WA-grown fruits and vegetables in 2011-13. (The Seattle Foundation
2015)
National


An estimated percent of the edible food available is wasted at the consumer
level, 50 percent more than in 1970. This waste accounts for roughly 15 percent of
the municipal solid waste stream and represents a loss of $455 per person each
year. One estimate suggests that 2 percent of total annual energy use in the U.S. is
used to produce food that is later wasted. (Statistica 2014)

Fresh produce eaten in the Midwest travels an average of more than 1,500
miles. A study by the Leopold Center showed that increasing Iowas consumption of
regionally grown fresh produce by only percent would save more than 300,000
gallons in transportation fuel per year. (Statistica 2014)

Some 42 percent of North American consumers said they are willing to pay
more for sustainable products. More than half of American consumers say they
depend on the company to disclose information about the health and sustainability
of their products, and three quarters expressed a desire for more companies to
report this type of information. (Statistica 2014)

14 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States are associated

with the production of food; preventing food waste can have a large impact in
reducing greenhouse gas emissions. (EPA 2015)

Some states have regulations regarding use of food scraps for animal feed.
There are currently no federal regulations. Some states ban food donation for
animal feed. Others regulate what food can be donated, usually vegetative waste
(no meat or dairy). (EPA 2015)

Reducing plate waste can also significantly decrease the amount of food sent
to landfills. For example, cafeterias can go "trayless" and use only plates. Removing
trays has been shown to minimize food purchasing by up to 30 percent because
students are less inclined to take more than they can eat. (EPA 2015)

Bios:
Melinda Vickers
Melinda is the president of SSF and has been a member for the past two years. She
joined the club because she was bothered by the many problems with the food
systems, at a national and local level. She is very passionate about the environment
and becoming involved in this club has given her the opportunity to work towards
making real changes in these areas. She is a Geography major and is also a
member of hiking club and environmental club.
Email: Melinda.v@comcast.net

Boiler Plate:
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Western Students for Sustainable Food is a Western Washington University

Associated Students club that works to bring nourishing and sustainable food to
campus and provide students with more sustainable and healthy dining options.
They embraced food activism, food sovereignty, creating communicating food
security and educating students. There are currently 10 active members in the club
and they hold meetings at 6 p.m., on Thursdays in the WWU Humanities Building,
room 102. Melinda Vickers is the current president of SSF. For more information,
check out their link on the AS Clubs webpage, http://asclubs.wwu.edu.

Sources:
Southerland, Sara. Happy Eat Local Month.Community Food Co-op. August 2014.
https://sustainableconnections.org/news/media/food_and_farming/happy-eatlocal-month
Community Food Co-op. Farm Fund Grants. Community Food Co-op. January 2015.
http://www.communityfood.coop/participate/giving-back/farm-fund/
The Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network. Support Healthy Farms,
Healthy Food, and Healthy Kids. The Washington Sustainable Food and Farming
Network. 2015.
http://wsffn.org/Your%20Help%20is%20Needed
Seattle Food Action Plan 2014 Progress Report. Seattle Food Action Plan. Seattle
Food Action Plan 2014 Progress Report. November 2014.
http://www.seattle.gov/Documents/Departments/OSE/2014Food%20Action%20Plan
%20Update%20FINAL.pdf
The Seattle Foundation. Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network. The
Seattle Foundation. 2015.
http://www.seattlefoundation.org/npos/Pages/WashingtonSustainableFoodFarmingNe
twork.aspx
Statistica. Statistics and Facts on the Sustainable Food Industry. Statistica. 2014.
http://www.statista.com/topics/2217/sustainable-food-industry-statistics-and-facts/
Environmental Protection Agency. Frequently Asked Questions About Sustainable
Food. Environmental Protection Agency. 2015.
http://www.epa.gov/foodrecovery/fd-faq.htm
Whatcom Farm Friends. Natural Resource Marketplace. Whatcom Farm Friends.
2015.

Students for Sustainable Food

Top Ten FAQs
1. What is Students for Sustainable Food?
Students for Sustainable Food is an Associated Students club at Western
Washington University.
2. What is your mission?
We embrace food activism, food sovereignty, creating community food
security and
student education. We strive to bring education and viable food alternatives
to
campus through a new and invigorating food and gathering venue.
3. What does Real Food actually mean?
Real food is food which truly nourishes producers, consumers, communities
and the earth. It is a food system--from seed to plate--that fundamentally
respects human
dignity and health, animal welfare, social justice and environmental
sustainability.
4.

What is required of SSF members?

There are no specific requirements for SSF members, we just ask that you
come to meetings and help in any way that you can!

5. How are you working to promote the concept of real food?

We are working with the national Real Food Challenge to bring more real
food options to campus. We are pushing Aramark to provide 30 to 40 percent
of real food by 2020. We teach sourcing and cooking of real food and use
these resources to cater various events.
6.

What kind of events do you put on?

In addition to our Real Food Challenge, we cater various events, hold member
potluck meetings, and lobby the school and Aramark to bring better options
to campus.

7. How do I join?
Come to a meeting! We would love to make you a part of our activism-based
club.
8.

When and where do you meet?

We hold regular meetings Thursdays at 6 p.m. in Humanities 102. Potlucks,
cooking classes and other events can vary in day, time and location.
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9.

Where can I go to learn more?

To find out more about what we are doing, check out our OrgSync page:
http://orgsync.com/43017/chapter . You can also check us out and contact us
through our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/ssfwwu to learn more
about the national Real Food Challenge, visit their website at
http://www.realfoodchallenge.org.

10. Who can I contact to learn more about the club?

You can email the club at wwusustainablefood@gmail.com.

Dear Maddie and Heidi,

When sophomore Melinda Vickers first arrived at Western, she knew she was
passionate about the environment; she just lacked the tools to pursue that
passion. Little did she know, by her sophomore year she would be the
president of the AS club, Students for Sustainable Food (SFF), leading the
Real Food Challenge and working one on one with President Bruce Shepard
and the director of University Residences, Leonard Jones, to bring more
sustainable food options to campus.
It is a well-known fact that Western makes an effort to be green. By having
more recycling options and banning plastic water bottles the school has
made strides toward becoming a more sustainable campus; however, the
members of Students for Sustainable Food say that when it comes to food
options on campus, there is a ton of room for improvement.
SSF is currently working with the Real Food Challenge, a national challenge
on college campuses all around the U.S. that encourages campuses to
provide healthier, more sustainable dining options. Real food is defined as
food that is nourishing to the producer, consumer and environment. It is
prepared in a sustainable way and SFF is hoping it will soon replace some of
the processed, unhealthy and unsustainable options that are so easy to find
on campus.
Their goal is to get President Bruce Shepard to sign a commitment to bring
30 percent real food to campus, with a stretch goal of 40 percent by 2020. If
President Shepard agrees to sign the commitment, there will be a signing
ceremony and SSF will have made a huge change in the future of Westerns
sustainable dining options for student.
Vickers and the other ten members of SSF are hoping to spread the word
about the challenge and get more students involved and on board.
For more information about SSF and their progress towards changing
Westerns dining options, contact Melina Vickers, at (720) 438-8007.
For more information about the Real Food Challenge, contact Emma
Brewster, the regional coordinator for the challenge, at (206) 251-6433 or
emma.brewster@gmail.com
Feel free to contact us personally for more information!
Thank you,
Rachel Ronquillo, Alex Johnson and Sierra Tryon
ronquir@students.wwu.edu (425) 248-7662
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johns684@students.wwu.edu (253) 973-5814

tryonsierra.vikingvanguard@gmail.com (253) 389-8522

Radio PSA Script

May 7, 2015- For Immediate Release
Contact: Rachel Ronquillo, (425) 248-7662, ronquir@students.wwu.edu
www.facebook.com/ssfwwu

Students for Sustainable Food (SSF) Script

30 sec. Radio PSA
Did you know that the typical food item in the US travels an average of 1,500 miles
before it reaches your plate? Westerns Associated Students Club, Students for
Sustainable Food is working to create a healthy food system on campus that
supports local economies, ensures ecological sustainability and promotes
awareness and education about sustainability issues. For more information, and to
learn how you can help make a change, visit W-W-W dot Facebook dot com slash SS-F-W-W-U. Real food, for real students.
###

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Press Release
WWU Club Fights for Sustainable Food on Campus
Contact: Rachel Ronquillo, (425) 248-7662, ronquir@students.wwu.edu
May 15, 2015
BELLINGHAM Western Washington Universitys Associated Students Club,
Students for Sustainable Food (SSF), is currently working with the nationwide Real
Food Challenge to bring healthier, local and more sustainable food options to
Westerns campus.
The club is currently working with Leonard Jones, Westerns director of
University Residences, to create a proposal that they will present to WWU President
Bruce Shepard to change the on-campus food options for students. The goal is to
get Shepard to sign a commitment to bring 30 percent real food to campus, with a
stretch goal of 40 percent by 2020.
Real food is defined as food that nourishes the producer, consumer,
community and environment.
Melinda Vickers, the club president and a sophomore at WWU, said that the
club is hoping Shepard will approve of the proposal that her and Jones have created
and that they will all be able to work together to create a healthier environment for
the students at Western. They hope to hear back soon about when they can meet
with Shepard but no specific date has been set. Vickers and the club are hoping to
raise awareness of the challenge and to gain more student support.
The Real Food Challenge is a challenge among universities and colleges in
the U.S. It is a student run campaign that is dedicated to creating a healthy, just
and sustainable food system. The goal is to shift $1 billion of institutional food
spending to real food.
For more information contact Rachel Ronquillo, current PR representative for
SSF at ronquir@students.wwu.edu or 425-248-7662; or contact Melinda Vickers,
president of SSF at Melinda.v@comcast.net or 720-438-8007.

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