This article is featured in the 2025 Winter Carnival Special Issue.
Every morning at 5 a.m., trucks roll up to the Class of 1953 Commons, bringing fresh ingredients—from chicken to vegetables. Dartmouth Dining proudly showcases local suppliers, balancing cost, safety, and sustainability.
Most of the food at ’53 Commons comes from a national distributor called Performance Food Group (PFG). They partner with around 20 local suppliers as well. According to purchasing manager Beth DiFrancesco, this mix helps the kitchen maintain safety and quality for large-scale meals.
PFG operates 50 warehouses across the U.S., including one in Springfield, Mass. They supply various institutions with everything from fresh produce to specialty meats. Their system works efficiently—orders placed by 3 p.m. are delivered by morning.
For local and specialty items, Dartmouth Dining collaborates with Upper Valley Produce (UVP). This smaller distributor sources from local farms in Vermont, New Hampshire, and parts of New York and Canada. Approximately a quarter of their inventory comes directly from nearby farms, offering products like yogurt, sausage, and vegetables.
Processing often occurs before produce arrives on campus. For example, vegetables are repackaged in UVP’s facilities before delivery. Nevertheless, some items, like bone-in chicken thighs, are hard to find. While popular, they are not commonly stocked by many suppliers.
As food prices increase, sourcing decisions hinge on cost and availability. Certain ingredients, such as bananas, need to be imported due to geographic limitations. During winter, Dartmouth relies more on broader distribution networks for seasonal produce.
Students have raised concerns about the environmental impact of food sourcing. The transportation and packaging used by larger distributors like PFG can contribute to emissions. Some students, like Lily Giurleo ’28, advocate for more local sourcing. Others, like Amedee Conley-Kapoi ’26, recognize the challenges of feeding many people sustainably.
Opinions on food quality are mixed. Shane Wattenmaker ’28, who often eats in the dining hall, appreciates the high-protein options but feels the overall selection lacks variety. He expressed frustration about the difficulty of finding healthy meals and highlighted a need for more transparency about sourcing.
Giurleo also voiced concerns about the freshness of produce, noting fluctuations in fruit and vegetable availability. Though she finds the meat relatively fresh, she often resorts to canned options due to inconsistent offerings. Seafood, she noted, often shows signs of freezing and packaging.
Scrambled eggs have stirred debate, with some students surprised they aren’t powdered, while others dislike the texture. “I can’t eat scrambled eggs unless they’re dry,” Giurleo said.
Despite varied opinions, many agree that Dartmouth Dining isn’t as bad as its reputation implies. Giurleo described it as “not as bad as people make it out to be.” Conley-Kapoi emphasized the challenge of healthy eating on a budget, but appreciated the convenience of food access at the Commons.
