Sustainable Food System

Welcome to our Sustainable Food Systems page, where we explore practical and ethical solutions to enhance food sustainability on campus. Discover our range of Fairtrade options, including coffee and hot chocolate, which support fair wages and sustainable farming practices. Learn about our Community Fridge initiative and our vibrant Farmers’ Market held every semester, featuring local produce and fostering a connection with our food sources.

Fairtrade Campus

In 2022-2023, the Sustainable Development Office created a Fairtrade Campus Committee that researched different Fairtrade suppliers and made recommendations, and in November 2023, Bishop’s received the official Fairtrade Campus designation in the presence of Fairtrade Canada representatives. The University in collaboration with campus Food Services ensures that Fairtrade certified coffee is offered everywhere on campus. Efforts are continuing to expand the Fairtrade offer.

The purchase of Fairtrade coffee and hot chocolate supports fairer pricing of products for small-scale farms and this in turn supports their labourers in the unpredictable international coffee market. The Fairtrade movement supports the creation of strong, long-term trading relationships between partners. For more information about Fairtrade see: https://fairtrade.ca/

To find out more about the Fairtrade announcement at Bishop’s:

• University Affairs: Bishop’s earns Fairtrade campus designation — University Affairs
• La Tribune: L’Université Bishop’s désignée «campus équitable» par Fairtrade Canada (latribune.ca)

Community Fridge

The Community Fridge is managed by the Sustainable Development Student Intern (SDSI). Unopened dairy products, sealed packaged items, canned goods and other non-perishables are also appreciated as long as they are still fit to eat (see guidelines below). The wooden shelves beside the fridges are for non-perishables.

Come and check out the Community Fridge in the Student Centre lobby, underneath the stairs and next to Doolittles Co-op.

Farmers’ Market

Once every semester, we hold an on-campus Farmers’ Market! Local producers from both on‑ and off-campus were selling their products in the Quad. Producers from campus usually are:

• SAFS Club – fruits and vegetables grown on the campus farm
• Bishop’s Bees – unpasteurized raw honey made by our two beehives
• Fine Arts students and graduates – crafts and visual art pieces
• Indigenous Student Support Services – traditional crafts
• Students and Employees – various home-made crafts and products

We also encourage our community to attend the Lennoxville Farmers’ Market that was established by our very own Professor Darren Bardati. The aim of the Lennoxville Farmers’ Market is to bring quality fruits, vegetables, and other goods from within a 50 km radius of Lennoxville to its citizens. This aids in creating a sense of community, provides buyers with product knowledge (where it comes from, how it’s grown, who grows it), supports small scale farms and reduces transport emissions and the need for preserving chemicals. Visit their website for more information.

B.U. is a drop-off point for organic and local vegetable baskets

Bishop’s University students, faculty and staff now have access to reliable, high-quality local food. Bishop’s campus is host to a local producer who supplies Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) baskets as well as produce in a weekly on-campus market. Access to fresh, local produce has never been easier!

In the summer and fall sessions, Les Hôtes Épinettes, a local farm based near Cookshire-Eaton (24 km from campus) offered CSA weekly baskets. Students benefit from a 10% discount on the baskets!

During the summer, the CSA basket drop-off is at Lennoxville Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. A person can register for a complete season (summer and fall) and have their basket delivery point switched to the campus pick-up spot during the fall.

In the winter semester, the baskets are provided by Bio Locaux, a collective of 22 local farmers that join forces to offer 100% local veggies baskets during the winter in the Eastern Townships area.

A project proposing Bishop’s University’s participation in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative was brought back during the winter semester of 2022 thanks to a Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS) student’s honor’s project.

Community Garden

Introduced in the summer of 2024, Bishop’s new community garden is now open to students and staff interested in experimenting with growing their own food.

Priority Order

The goal is to contribute to food security, particularly among students, and it aligns with Goal 4 of Bishop’s Sustainable Development Plan, focused on the well-being of our community. For this reason, priority will be given first to students, then to faculty and staff members, and finally to other members of the Bishop’s community. Since few students are present during the growing season, we anticipate having several plots available to allocate to non-students.

Opening

Depending on the weather, the garden will be open to members between May 1st and November 1st each year.

Lending Periods

Do not hesitate to register for a garden parcel even if you are not available to garden for the whole growing season. You have the possibility to access a plot for the summer (May 1st to August 31st), for the full season (May 1st to October 31st) or for the fall (September 1st to October 31st). This last lending period is ideal for students who come back to Bishop’s for the Fall semester.

First come, first served

Also note that apart from the priority order, in case we have too many subscriptions, we will be allocating plots based on the order in which we receive the registrations. First come, first served! For more details, please consult the Garden Rules (PDF).

Aramark Environmental Goals

We work closely with Aramark, our food service company on campus, to constantly increase the sustainability elements in the services offered on campus. To learn more about Aramark’s Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) measures, please consult the Aramark website.