By Jolee Keplinger | June 11, 2020
Principia Center for Sustainability
Special Projects Officer
On the top of the science center above the Information Technology Department is a hidden gem that has existed for just a few years. It’s an excellent place to relax, use your green thumb, and support campus-grown food.
History
The garden was started by Principia alumnus Jeff Lewis. This idea sprung up after Jeff participated in the Urban Harvest STL internship program. Urban Harvest STL is a St. Louis organization that works to provide fresh produce to communities that are food insecure. In other words, it benefits those who that have little or no access to fresh produce.
Jeff was part of the first class of interns, and stayed on for a second growing season. While he was participating in the program, he was also developing a plan to build a smaller version of Urban Harvest’s food roof on campus. After lots of research and discussions with on campus stakeholders, he obtained the necessary approval to transform rooftop space. If it wasn’t for the internship at Urban Harvest, Jeff probably would have never decided to establish a green roof on campus.
The Capstone Project Lives On
After Jeff graduated in 2018, other members of the Principia College community have stepped up and kept the roof green. Currently, the green roof is most frequently used by Carly Hendrickson, the College’s administrative assistant. Carly had been interested in gardening for many years, and also enjoys gardening at her house in St. Charles, MO. She’s grown tomatoes, basil, rosemary, mint potatoes, kale, kohlrabi, red cabbage, and leeks.
So far, the produce grown on the green roof has gone to a small group of people, including summer research assistants, professor of sustainability Dr. Karen Eckert, members of the Sustainability Club, and Carly herself.
In addition to Carly, The Sustainability Club also utilizes the space on occasion. The Club has held rooftop garden parties during the spring, and has also created fresh salads with the roof’s abundant leafy greens.
Most Recent Activities
The spring 2020 semester did not unfold as planned due to COVID-19 complications, but the green roof did produce a small harvest. This harvest wasn’t the usual variety of leafy greens and herbs though. Due to restrictions on campus, Carly wasn’t able to consistently work on campus and visit the roof. Fortunately, she planted a few pots of tulips earlier in the semester. In April, the flowers were able to be harvested. Since I still had access to the Science Center as a Post-Graduate Teaching Intern, I was able to harvest and distribute the tulips.
Future Plans
Once campus returns to a more normal state, the Center for Sustainability hopes to revive the rooftop garden, and continue to maintain this campus-grown food space. If you will be on campus in the future, and would like to get involved, please contact Dr. Karen Eckert, the Directer of the Center for Sustainability. To learn more about Principia College’s sustainable food scene, you can visit the Center’s new website!
Jolee Keplinger | Post Graduate Teaching Intern| Principia Center for Sustainability
Did you know eating crickets is one of the most sustainable complete protein sources? It may sound a bit weird, but powdered crickets can actually be a tasty nutrient powerhouse!
When raising 1 pound of crickets, only 1 gallon of water and 0.55 pounds of grain are needed. Just 0.15 pounds of carbon dioxide is produced.
In contrast, a pound of beef requires 1799 gallons of water, 6.6 pounds of grain, and produces 15 pounds of CO2!
You may be wondering how to start incorporating this highly sustainable protein source into your diet. Below is a recipe created with cricket powder from a local company called Mighty Cricket. The startup has existed for just a few years, but is growing fast! Currently, you can find Mighty Cricket products in various restaurants throughout the St. Louis metro area, and in a few specialty grocery stores, such as Local Harvest.
Visit mightycricket.co to learn more. Below is a recipe I created for the company. Stay tuned for more!
By Jolee Keplinger (C’20) | Principia Center for Sustainability
Defining Local
The specific number of miles traveled by food to count as being “local” varies. The definition adopted by the U.S. Congress considers local food to have traveled less than 400 miles from its origin, or be from the state it was produced. The more common definition of local food means it was grown within 100 miles or within the state.
Local Focus: Principia College
I will start this local food exploration from where I am living, Principia College, located on the bluffs next to the Mississippi river in Elsah, IL. Just on this 2,600 acre campus, a plethora of off-the-radar foods are scattered across the landscape. I will start this food-venture at the East Quad housing section of the campus. There, a mini apple “orchard” exists, and each fall, the trees are abounding with apples.
Apples harvested from campus – Fall 2018
Most students walk by these trees without giving them a second thought. I used to be one of those students, but last year, my perspective changed when I participated in the sustainability club’s apple sauce workshop during the fall of 2018.
I was amazed at how under-appreciated the apples were, and at the potential to create a variety of apple products right on campus. It’s too bad these apples aren’t incorporated into the campus’s dining services. Instead, industrially grown apples are shipped in from many miles away, and their origin is not communicated to us.
Fortunately, an aspect of the campus that’s being utilized are the sugar maple trees. A biology course called Sugarbush focuses on making maple syrup during the spring semester.
The students create products using the maple syrup, and sell them in the campus’s store. This example demonstrates how local food is so accessable.
Sadly, if you go to get pancakes for breakfast, the maple syrup is not campus-grown due to its high value and limited quantity. Instead, you’ll find an artificial version shipped in from many miles away.
Fun fact: Principia’s maple syrup is FSC certified. Products labeled with this certification come from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social and economic benefits!
90% of proceeds benefit Principia’s Land Stewardship program.
Maple Syrup for Sale
Value added products, made by students enrolled in the maple syrup making course, will be for sale in the C-Store as well. For example, sweets such as cake pops, rice crispy treats, maple bark, and popsicles graced the shelves last year.
Next to the sugar shack (where the syrup is boiled) lies a community garden, which is currently being revitalized.
The Science Center, which is located next to the garden, is contributing to the campus’s local food production as well. Part of this building’s roof has been transformed into a garden. There, kale, cabbage, leeks, romaine lettuce, and a variety of herbs are being grown, (and sunflowers are coming soon). Evidence of the campus’s potential to self-sustain itself is the student/faculty-run victory garden during World War II. This demonstrates that with an urgent event, and call to action, things can be accomplished.
Rooftop gardens, also known as green roofs, provide many benefits. The most obvious one is the availability of fresh, nutrient-dense, and local food, which can be grown with organic principles. Additionally, rooftop gardens can lead to community building, reduce energy costs, and even provide habitats for native pollinators, which play an essential role in local food production.
The beekeeping program, a subset of the Sustainability Club, manages bee boxes, which have successfully produced honey.
This is exhibited during Sustainability Weekend each year. Samples of honey are offered to anyone walking through the Concourse.
As you walk through the concourse, you can enter the central food area, known as the Scramble Room. There, locally grown products are not the norm.
If you continue walking though, you’ll arrive at the campus’s convenience store, known as the C-Store. There you can find local specialties such as Fitz’s soda, which is hand-crated in St. Louis.
Even though the campus has the ability to produce a variety of foods, this utopian campus food system isn’t being achieved due to logistical factors, such as high turnover rate of student residents, apathy regarding the origin of one’s food, and our have-it-all, fast-paced, globalized culture.
The average person to expects to have 24/7 access to a variety of foods which of course, cannot all be grown locally and sustainably.
On a positive note, the campus’s Dining Services has a five star rating from the Green Dining Alliance. This St. Louis-based program rates restaurants in terms of water and energy conservation, food sourcing, recycling and waste reduction, awareness, innovation, and chemical use.
In each category, Principia has scored at least four stars, except for the “sourcing” category. This highlights the fact that sourcing local and sustainable food has plenty of room for improvement.
For example, one product which happens to be manufactured semi-locally is the Beyond Burger.
Fortunately, progress is being made. As Principia’s Dining Services Liaison officer for the Sustainability Department, one of my projects last semester was integrating local produce from a Three Rivers Community Farm. This small, family-run farm, which grows all its produce with organic principles, is less than a five minute drive from campus. (Fun fact: the land is actually being leased from Principia.) I thought it was important to utilize this local food source which lies in our backyard. I took action by setting up a meeting which included our chef, the director of the Sustainability department, and the owner of the farm. The meeting was a success, and resulted in a partnership with the farm. Fresh, local produce can be expected to become integrated into Principia’s Dining Services starting in the fall semester of 2019!
Final Words
Today, what’s needed is community awareness regarding the current, unsustainable-state of the U.S. food system, and individuals who are passionate about igniting change. Everyone eats, and everyone wants to eat in the future. For this to be possible, we must transition from the current too-good-to-be-true depleting global industrial food system, to once that’s local, place-based, and not just sustainable, but regenerative.
Even though Principia’s campus-grown food is a step in the right direction, the intentions seem to be academic research, Sustainability Club activity, or project-based. There is much progress to be made considering the multitude of possibilities that exist on a rural 2,600 acre campus.
By Jolee Keplinger (C’20) | Principia Center for Sustainability
Move over tofu, Beyond Meat has created a variety of meat alternatives! My favorite product is the Grilled “Chicken” Strips. They look just like traditional chicken, and taste very similar. On their own, you can tell it’s not real meat, but when they’re served with other ingredients, it’s hard to tell the difference!
If you’re not sold by this amazing “meat” substitute, let me give you a few reasons why you should be.
Some are fed arsenic to make them grow faster (toxic to humans)
The best feedback was received when the “chicken” was incorporated into plant-based dishes such as the stir-fry pictured above, quesadillas and melts. The melt pictured below was made with Daiya provolone “cheese”, “chicken”, tomato slices, and a bit of pesto spread on top of toasted whole grain bread.
Student Feedback (“chicken” only)
Yenum Egwuenu 6/10
“It tastes very veggie. It’s okay but I prefer meat. I’m open to eating it in the future though.”
Stephen Stuart 8/10
“It has a fish-like flavor. It’s really good but it doesn’t taste like the chicken I ate for lunch. There’s a blandish flavor. It would be great with spices and other things mixed in.”
Cheesy Chicken Melt – Student Feedback
Adelainee Biang 8/10
“It tastes like meat. At first I didn’t like it but after eating it all I think it tastes good! I normally don’t like cheese, but this tastes really nice.”
Boyo Amuka 10/10
“The chicken alternative tastes like normal chicken! It’s a great substitute! I think it’s best when combined with other things.”
The Verdict
This chicken alternative is by far, the most similar to chicken out of all the plant-based imitation chicken I’ve tasted. It was received by students, making it an excellent option for plant-based eaters here at Principia.
Alfredo sauce is a classic choice among pasta-lovers. This rich and creamy sauce is far from being plant-based though. Most Alfredo sauces contain heavy cream, butter, and parmesan cheese. Since I’ve never tried a plant-based version of this sauce, I decided to test out a recipe I found online.
The recipe called for garlic, olive oil, cauliflower, plain almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
First I cooked the garlic in olive oil for a few minutes. Next, I added the almond milk and brought it to a boil. Next I added the chopped cauliflower, salt, and pepper. After about 7 minutes of cooking, I transferred the mixture to a blender and added the nutritional yeast and lemon juice. I blended it until a smooth consistency was reached. DONE!
I served the alternative Alfredo sauce with brown rice pasta and the plant-based pesto.
Student Feedback
Blake Bischoff 8/10 (alone), 10/10 (with pasta).
“I appreciate how this sauce is healthier than traditional Alfredo. It’s not very flavorful on its own but it compliments the pasta well.”
Pauline Mwangi 8.5/10
“I like how it’s dairy free. In general, I like healthier things. This sauce is not as runny as as most are. I’d go for it!”
Pasta is a go-to dish for many students at Principia. Currently, marinara sauce is the only 100% plant-based sauce option. The others are contain dairy products such as milk, cream, and cheese. For example, most traditional pesto sauces contain mozzarella cheese. Cheese-free pestos aren’t common, but they do exist! I tested out a recipe I found online.
This recipe is similar to traditional pesto, but there’s nutritional yeast instead of cheese and walnuts instead of pine nuts.
Slight change: The recipe called for two cups of fresh basil. I only had one, so I substituted a cup of kale for the basil I lacked.
The recipe was quick and simple. All it required was measuring, chopping, and blending the ingredients. Once complete, I served it with pasta and began the student feedback session.
Student Feedback
Diego John 10/10
“This tastes fresh, real, and I like it better than the original. I’d personally have this in the morning, afternoon, and night. It reminds me of food from Africa. I feel very satisfied after only eating a small bit!”
Boyo Amuka 9.9/10
“It tastes very natural. I’d definitely choose this over what’s currently available!”
Jenita Arini 9/10
“It’s very similar to normal pesto.”
The Verdict
This (slightly altered) plant-based pesto recipe is healthy, and incredibly delicious. It was highly rated by students based on its fresh ingredients and powerful flavor. We didn’t miss the cheese at all!
Pancakes are a frequent item on Principia’s breakfast menu. Since they contain butter, eggs, and milk, I figured that a plant-based alternative recipe would be worthwhile.
This alternative recipe was incredibly simple. (Not cracking eggs was a plus too.)
In addition to plain pancakes, I experimented with a few other varieties: banana, chocolate chip, blueberry, walnut, flaxseed, and one with everything.
Oil, rather than butter, is used for the cooking process. I chose coconut oil due to its rich flavor.
The pancakes cooked beautifully and tasted even better.
The Verdict
This particular recipe was quick, simple, and tasty, but it doesn’t compare to the average fluffy pancake that most people are accustomed to. These pancakes were dense, a bit tough, and the coconut oil overwhelmed the flavor. Due to this, I will continue testing other plant-based pancake recipes. Hopefully I’ll find one that’s comparable to the average pancake!
Spaghetti is a classic for food lovers. Meat sauces with ground beef are a staple of the typical college students diet. Out of all foods, beef is one of the least sustainable due to the massive amount of resources needed. Fortunately, Beyond Meat makes a ground beef alternative which serves as a delicious substitute for spaghetti sauce. For vegetarians that would normally go without meat, this adds plenty protein, yielding a well-balanced meal.
A few students and I got together and cooked dinner. We cooked pasta, sautéed veggies, added sauce, and cooked the Beyond Meat Beefy crumbles. We mixed it together and had a delicious meal.
We also made garlic bread with olive oil (instead of butter) and Daiya jalapeño”cheese” (instead of dairy cheese).
Student Feedback
Stephen Stuart 9/10
“I love it! I think the “meat” tastes pretty good. I love the garlic “cheese” bread too!”
Kiersten Sheehan 8.5/10
“It has a dry smoky taste. I like how the “meat” isn’t as oily.”
Daniel Cornell 8.75/10
“I can’t say I’d always eat it but I like it in this form. In terms of realness, it’s great! I feel good because I’m not killing a cow.”
Alan Freeman 7/10
“I like this in terms of helping my conscious by moderating how much beef I consume.”
José Lucero 8/10
“It doesn’t taste like meat but it’s good. I’d eat it if it was an option. I’m concerned about the artificial ingredients though (specifically caramel color).”
Reilly Jeddy 8/10
“It doesn’t taste quite like beef so I wouldn’t eat it all the time.”
The Verdict
Even though the Beyond Beef crumbles didn’t taste exactly like beef, they complemented the meal quite nicely. Since vegetarian spaghetti (pasta, sauce, and veggies) isn’t a complete protein, the additional protein from the Beyond Beef crumbles made an already delicious meal, a nutritionally balanced and satisfying one.
Bagels with cream cheese are a go-to breakfast for many college students. I’ve always loved bagels with cream cheese, and I even worked at a bagel shop for two years.
Sadly, dairy products, like cream cheese, are not the most sustainable choice. Click to learn more.
Luckily, there are quite a few pre-made vegan cream cheese products available. A few students, and myself tested one made by Tofutti.
Student Feedback
Anna-Zoë Herr 8.75/10
If Dining Services offered this I’d be really grateful and totally buy it! I’d eat this instead of real cream cheese because I don’t eat dairy products.”
Kiersten Sheehan 9/10
“I’d eat this!”
Stephen Stuart 8.5/10
“It’s pretty good! I’d go for it!”
Afton Leslie 10/10
“There’s no milky, fatty aftertaste! I love it! Since I’m vegan I’d definitely choose this over normal cream cheese.”
Natalie Storm 8/10
“It seems lighter than the dairy version. I’d go for it!”
The Verdict
The taste testers and myself all liked this product. The texture is exactly like traditional cream cheese and the taste is similar. You can tell it’s different, but not in a bad way. A vegan cream cheese would be an excellent addition to Prin’s Bagel Tuesday.
Although this alternative cream “cheese” is a step in the right direction, there’s one ingredient I have a problem with, and it’s palm oil. I did some research the company claims it’s sustainably sourced. Personally, I like to avoid products that contain this oil if possible.
Mac and cheese is one of the most popular side dishes at Prin. Mac and cheese is a side dish is one I’ve always loved but unfortunately, the cheese we enjoy eating may come with a high environmental cost. (Click to learn more.)
I browsed through quite a few recipes online and decided to test this one out. I selected this one because it’s made completely from scratch with whole/natural ingredients.
I’ve been sampling a lot of vegan cheeses so I wanted to see if a cheesy texture and flavor could be achieved without relying on processed cheese substitutes (such as microwaving a bowl of pasta with with Daiya cheese).
The 5 minute “cheese” recipe I used contained the following ingredients:
White beans, unsweetened almond milk, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil
I blended the ingredients, heated the mixture on the stove, and poured it over pasta. (To add some additional color and texture, I sautéed tomatoes and kale in olive oil and mixed it into the pasta.)
It wouldn’t mistake this recipe for traditional mac and cheese due to the difference in flavor and texture, but overall, it was very good. It tasted fresher, lighter and healthier.
Student Feedback
Brandon Robles: Immediately he said “it needs something”. He suggested adding some Daiya Jalapeño “cheese”. I added the “cheese”, melted it in the microwave, and it was “way better”.
Marygrace Kinuthia: I added extra olive oil, salt, and Daiya mixed shredded “cheese” to the next sample. Here’s the reaction I got: “This is vegan?! I really like it!” She gave it a 10/10.
Version 2
Here’s simpler version for busy college students. All you need is pasta and a cheese alternative such as Daiya.
Just cook the pasta and mix in the “cheese” until melted and evenly spread.
Student Feedback
Afton Leslie (visiting student)
“It’s thick, creamy, and tastes like real cheese! I’d much rather eat this than the dairy version. I want to give it a 10/10 but I’m vegan so that’s probably not fair so I’ll give it a 9/10. I love how there’s no milky/fatty aftertaste. I feel fantastic after eating this!”
Natalie Storm 8/10
“Yum! It’s really cheese-like. It’s good! I like the spice from the Daiya Jalapeño Havarti because I usually put saracha on my mac. I normally don’t eat much mac and cheese but I’d go for this if it was in the dining hall. I feel like I’d feel better afterward (as opposed to eating the traditional version). I just really love pasta!”
Vanessa Ramirez Jasso7.5/10
“I like it! I’d eat this if it was an option here.”
Devon Maurande 8/10
“It’s a little spicy but it’s delicious!”
Prin DIY(s):
Purchase pasta from Dining Services and Daiya cheddar “cheese” from the C-Store. Add the desired amount of “cheese” and microwave until melted.
