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Food Systems

Everybody needs to eat! When working to nurture a culture of sustainability, Knox also strives to support efficient, regenerative, and participatory food systems. These initiatives include growing food at the Knox Farm in ways that contribute to greater resiliency, sharing food with community members through our on-campus food share pantry, exploring more sustainable ways to prepare and serve food at our on-campus dining locations, reducing food waste and disposable packaging, and committing to composting organic waste.

The Knox Farm

The Knox Farm consists of two high tunnels (like greenhouses, these covered structures extend the growing season), outdoor gardens, and an edible forest landscape that consists of herbal guilds of edible and medicinal native plants that support each other’s growth. At the farm, students engage in regenerative farming practices as part of class curriculum, volunteer opportunities, and employment through the Knox Farm Crew. Produce from the farm is then served at the Knox Cafeteria and shared with the community. For more information about the Knox Farm and opportunities to get involved, please visit the Knox Farm website.

Food Share Pantry

The Knox College Food Share Pantry provides temporary supplemental food assistance for the Knox community at no cost to the user. This service aims to help alleviate hunger and reduce the impact of food insecurity on academic and personal success. The pantry is not intended to fulfill all of an individual’s food needs, but to provide temporary food relief.

The pantry is located in Seymour Union. Follow the staircase outside the Hard Knox Cafe, towards Taylor Lounge, and enter the lobby doors off the landing. The pantry is located next to the Office Supply Share room. 

For health and safety reasons, the pantry must have restricted access and be lockable. Please don’t let this discourage use! You can easily check out a key to access the pantry in the following locations:

  • From the Campus Life Office: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
  • From Taylor Lounge: Hours vary. Check communications from the Campus Life Office for the most recent schedule
  • From Campus Safety: 24 hours/day every day. Call 309-341-7979

Knox has partnered with River Bend Foodbank, located in Galesburg, Illinois to access affordable staple foods for the Food Share Pantry. This partnership provides access to their warehouse of food donations. An order can be placed and picked up monthly, based on what is available.

The food pantry also serves as an opportunity for each of us, to the extent that we are capable, to contribute to the well-being of the campus community. If you would like to donate to the pantry, you can drop items off at the Sustainability Cottage in the quads or at Student Development in Old Main.

In addition to Knox’s on-campus Food Share pantry, fresh produce may be accessed at the Knox Farm during the growing season. Please see the Galesburg Community Resources section below for information about other organizations providing assistance for food insecurity.

Dining Services

The Hard Knox Cafe is managed by Bon Appetit, which is a food service company that includes sustainability as one of its key values. They strive to serve “flavorful food that’s healthy and economically viable for all, produced through practices that respect farmers, workers, and animals; nourish the community; and replenish our shared natural resources for future generations.” 

Dining Services at Knox practices these values by

  • Offering plant-forward options, which have a lower carbon footprint than animal products
  • Prioritizing the purchase of locally sourced produce (including food grown at the Knox Farm)
  • Collaborating with student volunteer-run Food Recovery Network to donate unserved food to community partners.
  • Working with a local Industrial composting facility, Better Earth Logistics, to haul and compost food waste and organics.
  • Using BPI-certified compostable service ware at catered events or when packaging to-go options
  • Participating in the reusable “clamshell” eco takeout program, through which students receive a reusable clamshell for cafeteria carry-out, which can be exchanged for a clean container at each meal

Compost

Composting is the process of allowing organic waste, such as leaves and food scraps, to break down and decompose. Knox has two different composting systems, which allow Knox to divert a lot of food scraps from the landfill, reduce our carbon footprint, and contribute to the production of healthier soils.

  • Industrial-Scale Systems: Compostables and food scraps are collected in the cafeteria, Gizmo, events, and 3-way waste systems across campus and picked up by Better Earth Logistics, LLC (BELL), a local hauler, and managed by Better Earth Compost, an industrial compost facility in Peoria. In the last three years, Knox College has worked with BELL and collected over 100,000 lbs of organic waste (food scraps and compostables) to be managed and turned into a nutrient rich resource, in the form of compost.
  • Community-Scale Composting System: The Knox Farm runs a small-scale community-composting system where trained community members can drop off their food scraps to be processed by volunteers and Farm employees. This on-site system provides unique opportunities for learning about and connecting to the composting process. Plus, it produces high-quality compost that nourishes the soil at the Knox Farm!

Food at Sustainable Events:

If you want to hold a sustainable event, contact the Office of Sustainability to borrow clearly labeled bins for collecting food scraps and compostable plates/utensils. You can also borrow reusable dishes through our Reuse Kits Program!

Galesburg Community Resources

  • Galesburg Farmers Market is open every Saturday from April through October.
  • Knox Prairie Community Kitchen (KPCK) is a volunteer organization with the mission is to serve nutritious food to their neighbors, with dignity and respect. They host free community meals.
  • FISH of Galesbsurg is an emergency food pantry within walking distance from Knox. The mission of FISH is to provide food for those in need. They offer in-person “shopping” for free food, or delivery.