Rensselaer Dining Services is committed to increasing local sourcing from New York business partners to drive the economic development of the communities where we do business. We proudly purchase products from over 1400 local farms to feed students and guests in the same state.
We do not use any trays in our dining halls.
We do not give out straws, you must request them.
Every student on a dining plan receives a reusable mug and container at the beginning of the year! Given out during move-in days this mug allows for a discounted purchase of beverages at our retail locations and for students to leave the residential dining halls with a drink!
If you are on a meal plan and missed out on your mug be sure to pick it up at Simple to go in Russell Sage Dining Hall.
The Terra Café is a special once a week café that takes over the Evelyn's Cafe every Wednesday. Partnering with Rensselaer Dining the Terra Cafe aims to give students a unique lunch experience. The focus of the Terra Café is serving meals made entirely of local and organic ingredients. It exposes students to foods that are healthy, and also beneficial to the environment and local economies.
Instead of plastic bags in Father's Marketplace, students can use the reusable tote bags given to them at the beginning of the year.
Every Friday Rensselaer Dining serves fish that were caught in a sustainable manner from Red's Best, a company devoted to sustainable fishing for both wildlife as well as the fishermen.
RPI Dining Services proudly adopts Freight Farms to add to its sustainability initiatives. The Leafy Green Machine is a fully functional hydroponic farm built inside an up-cycled shipping container & configured for the immediate growth of a variety of leafy crops. With its innovative climate technology & growing equipment, the optimum growing condition is achieved 365 days a year irrespective of outside weather. The produce from the Leafy Green Machine is seamlessly integrated into current operations & used at various campus dining locations.
For more information about Freight Farms, click HERE
