Ei Tours Resume with 4Roots Farm Campus Tour

On May 17 an entourage of Elemental Impact (Ei) Advisors visited the 4Roots Farm Campus (4Roots) in Orlando for the first post-pandemic Ei Tour. In the Ei Era of Recycling Refinement (RR) (2010 Ei inception through June 2017,) Ei hosted a plethora of tours as educational vehicles with subsequent strategy sessions on potential initiatives, projects, and pilots. A variety of tours continued within the Ei Era of Regeneration (June 2017 to present.)

Importance of Tours

Ei Tour Group ready to tour the
Novelis aluminum-recycling plant
Photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

At the foundation of Ei’s tagline Regeneration in ACTION is integrity. Ei Partners are committed to working as a team to develop flexible programs and practices that evolve along with shifts in technology, circumstances, and economic parameters. Education is essential to weave integrity within program and practice development. Tours are excellent vehicles to learn first-hand about industry practices and fellow-partner business expertise. 

During the Ei Era of RR, Ei hosted industry and partner tours designed for experiential education, strategic planning, and bonding among the Ei Team. Tour participation was open to Ei Partners, Strategic Allies, and Advisory Council Members.

Era of RR Tours
During the Era of RR, the plethora of Ei Tours were categorized as Industry, Sustainable Food Court Initiative (SFCI), and Ei Partner Tours.

Ei Industry Tours
Prior to embarking on program and practice development, Ei strived to understand current industry practices and baselines. Tours of industry-leader operations was an effective and efficient avenue for garnering education and support.

From the archives, a unique, interesting, and fun tour was the two-day 2013 Tennessee State-Prison Tour:

TRICOR Tour Group

Federal and state prison systems are a potential labor and facility resource for Recycling-Refinement systems in the development phase. A group of Ei Partners, Supporters, and pals converged on Tennessee in late September to meet Fred Roach of TRICOR (Tennessee’s prison-employment system), tour operations, and explore synergies and opportunities. 

The Regeneration in ACTION (RiA) Magazine article, Prisons: Valuable Resource for Recycling Refinement Systems?!, provides a brief history of Ei / TRICOR relationship and an overview of the impressive tours; the Ei FB album, 09-13 TRICOR TN Prison Tours, is a pictorial recap.

SFCI Tours
The SFCI Team toured pilot facilities to amass first-hand experience of baseline practices in-place. Tours were excellent vehicles to establish strong working relationships with the on-site managers responsible for operations and facility maintenance.

From the archives, the Atlanta International Airport – Int’l Concourse SFCI Tour was a high honor. The SFCI Team toured the then busiest airport in the world's International Concourse while it remained under construction:

SFCI-ATL Tour Group

The SFCI Team was treated to a tour of the near-complete Atlanta Airport International Concourse. In addition to gorgeous aesthetic design, the International Concourse layout included ample back-of-the-house space, including the loading-dock area, to integrate recycling and organics collection into standard-operating practices. 

The RiA Magazine article, SFCI Team Tours New ATL Airport Int’l Concourse, gives an overview of the tour, and the Ei FB album, 04-12-12 SFCI Team Tour of ATL Airport, is a pictorial recount of the exciting tour.

Ei Partner Tours
Annually, an Ei Partner, or group of Partners, hosted their fellow Partners at their headquarters for a series of tours over a two-day period. Partners traveled from across North America for the event and had fun while learning about their fellow Partner's business model, strategies, and operations.

Ei Partner Tour Group at the GWCC
Photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

With few to no competitors among the Ei Partners, the synergies were tremendous along with an openness to share internal operations and programs. An added benefit of Ei Partner participation was the strong business potential among partners. Selling was not permitted within Ei introductions; yet, relationship development that segues naturally into business transactions was highly encouraged.

From the archives, the 2014 Atlanta Ei Partner Tours was the final tour and celebrated its ten-year anniversary within the timeframe of publishing this article:

In early June 2014 Ei Partners traveled from across North America to participate in the Atlanta Ei Partner Tours, hosted by Pratt Industries, Novelis, the Georgia World Congress Center, and the Atlanta Airport. Beyond the education inherent within the tours and presentations, Ei Partners used the time together to strategize on action points within the many Ei initiatives.

The IMPACT Magazine article, Atlanta Ei Partner Tours, is an overview of the two powerful days. For a pictorial recap visit the Ei FB Album, Atlanta Ei Partner Tours.

Era of Regeneration Tours
Though their focus shifted, tours remained integral to Ei's important work within the Era of Regeneration. Ei Farm Tours and Ei Explorations took center stage until the pandemic in 2020.

Ei Farm Tours
From a soil health perspective, farms may be harmful or extraordinarily beneficial to restoring the carbon-cycle balance. Ei Farm Tours focus on the many success stories where farms restore broken soil systems through regenerative agriculture.

From the archives, the 2019 Greenville Urban Farm Tours were inspiring:

Reedy River Farms

While in Greenville for the Healthy-Food School Programs meetings, Ei Strategic Ally Mary Hipp, Feed & Seed Chair, took Holly on tours of two prominent, impressive urban farms, Reedy River Farms and Horseshoe Farm.

The Greenville urban farm tours are chronicled in the RiA Magazine article, Greenville, #yeahthatgreenville, is a southern treasure; the Holly Elmore Images (HEI) FB album, Greenville, SC, is a pictorial recount of Holly’s May Greenville visit with sections on the farm tours.

Ei Explorations
Ei Explorations bring industry leaders and experts together to strategize on solutions for challenges facing humanity and life as we know it on our planet.

From the archives, the inaugural exploration, the 2018 Ei Exploration of Fungi, Soil Health & World Hunger, was monumental and continues to influence current Ei focus areas and initiatives:

Part of the Ei Exploration Group

On October 16, 2018, Ei hosted the first Ei Exploration. A group of diverse, passionate industry leaders traveled from California, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina to participate in the Ei Exploration of Fungi, Soil Health, and World Hunger in Upstate South Carolina. The empowering day was in partnership with Ei Strategic Ally Feed & Seed.

The RiA Magazine article, An Exploration of Fungi, Soil Health, & World Hunger, chronicles the event; the Ei FB album, An Exploration of Fungi, Soil Health & World Hunger, gives a pictorial recap.

Ei Moves | Tours Resume
With the onset of the global pandemic in 2020, Ei tours ceased along with other in-person activities. Ei's 2021 move further delayed scheduling tours.

In 2021, Ei Founder & CEO Holly Elmore returned to her hometown, Sarasota, Florida, after residing in Atlanta for 40 years. Along with Holly, the Ei national and global headquarters moved to Florida.

Until fall 2022, Holly's primary focus was caregiving for her elderly mother, and Ei slipped into the chrysalis stage of a major metamorphosis. As documented in the Ei Milestones page, Ei built a strong foundation within Sarasota's environmental community while in the chrysalis stage.

By late 2023, impressive Sarasota-based environmental professionals served on the the Ei Advisory Council, and Holly joined the Table2Farms Team as a Principal and Industry Expert.

Ei Tours resumed with the May 17, 2024 4Roots Tour.

4 Roots Farm Campus

Unearthing the Power of Food to Build Healthy Communities

4Roots is an alliance of community stakeholders investing in a healthy, thriving, sustainable, food system.

Located on a donated 40-acre tract of urban land, the 4Roots campus is a well-planned community-based endeavor that is a work-in-progress. The campus is strategically located in the southern Packing District less than two miles from Downtown Orlando. 

February 2024 4Roots Meeting Group
Photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

A refurbished orange-packing warehouse serves as the 4Roots offices along with workspace for several of their collaborative partners. The HUGE walk-in cooler is perfect for storing farm harvests and food donations as well as prepping food for the community.

According to the 4Roots Program Impact Statement:

4Roots is dedicated to unearthing the power of food to build healthy communities. By engaging the community to think more deeply about where and how food is grown, and why it matters, 4Roots aims to restore and maintain the delicate balance between people and planet.

4Roots is in the midst of a major evolution broken down into three phrases:

1. Phase I - Education
2. Phase II - Community
3. Phase III - Innovation & Discovery

February 4Roots Visit
After the February 2024 U.S. Composting Council Conference hosted in Daytona Beach, Holly was treated to an amazing three-hour introductory meeting at 4Roots; Holly attended the meeting at the invitation of her close friend Kim Charick, EPA R4 Team Lead, Food Waste Prevention.

The RiA Magazine article, Life Spirals: long-time friends, new professional horizons, provides an overview of the 4Roots organization, mission, and current endeavors; the HEI-photo album, 4Roots Campus Tour, gives a pictorial recount of the amazing three hours spent at the campus.

Ei 4Roots Tour
Ei Advisors Bridgett Luther, Table2Farms Visionary & CEO, Steve Suau, Consultant at Carbon Life, and Tim Rumage, Planetary Ethicist and Professor of Environmental Studies at Ringling College of Art and Design, joined Holly for the May 17 Ei 4Roots Tour, the first formal Ei Tour since 2019. Dave Gwatney joined the entourage as Steve's guest.

Ei Tour Group at the Greenhouse
Photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

4Roots Executive Director Tommy Ward welcomed the Ei group with an informative introductory meeting in the conference room. As the Ei Advisors were well versed via the RiA article's 4Roots synopsis and a 4Roots intro-PPT presentation, the meeting quickly segued into inquiries and intriguing conversation.

After the meeting, 4Roots Program Director Brianna Rodermal hosted the group on a tour of the warehouse followed by visits to the Education Center and the greenhouse. In the warehouse, Wrigglebrew Founder & CEO Sam Baker welcomed the group to the Wrigglebrew lab. Along with a product intro, Sam explained the technical process inherent within the worm-casting-based Plant Growth & Rescue liquid fertilizer. Holly and Bridgett purchased product for their home gardens.

Next O-Town Compost Founder Charlie Pioli educated the group on the food waste-collection-for- compost operations headquartered within the spacious 4Roots warehouse. O-Town offers residential-food waste-collection services for the Orlando-metro area. Custom commercial programs are available as well as office and event-collection services. O-Town Compost serves as a hauler and delivers the collected food waste to select farms who compost the material.

4Roots Greenhouse
4Roots Farm Manager Josh Taylor met the group at the recently opened seven-hoop greenhouse to showcase the impressive practices in place. Hydroponics, aquaponics, and in-soil farming techniques are incorporated within the seven hoops. Tilapia excrement fertilizes hydroponic-grown vegetables; the hydroponic cucumbers were robust from the natural fertilizer. 

Tilapia tank next to cucumbers
Photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

As visitors are not permitted in the greenhouse due to contamination and food-safety concerns, Josh shared the greenhouse status via the viewing alcoves with large windows.

Crops grown in the greenhouse are destined for sale via the Fresh by 4Roots (their CSA - community supported agriculture - program,) and donations through their Meet the Need program. Additionally, the crops will be sold and/or donated to community partners. Ultimately, the greenhouse produce as well as tilapia harvests will service campus restaurants designated to open in Phase II.

The entire greenhouse project is currently funded through partner philanthropy and grants. 

Across the wetlands from the greenhouse are the flow hives for the campus bees. Introduced in 2015, the innovative flow hives allow honey extraction without opening the hive. Additionally, the 4Roots flow hives have clear windows, which are ideal for viewing and experiential learning.

As with all 4Roots endeavors, research and education are intertwined within the program purpose and operations. 

Culinary Health Institute
Beginning in July, the Culinary Health Institute (CHI) will assess the phytonutrient composition of the harvested fruits, vegetables and plants via rigorous testing. Construction of the CHI facility within the 4Roots campus is included in Phase II. Per the website, 

The Culinary Health Institute’s mission is to understand how different growing methods for food impact nutrient quality, and how that nutrient quality impacts chronic illness. We also aim to improve access to healthy foods for underserved communities. In collaboration with medical schools, we aim to educate the next generation of doctors and allied health professionals on the impact of whole food, plant-forward diets, and the importance of other lifestyle changes to heal the body.

The two-minute video featuring 4Roots Founder & CEO John Rivers and CHI Chief Medical Officer Dr. Monica Agarwal is an excellent CHI overview. Under Dr. Agarwal's leadership, the CHI will research the impact of nutrition on chronic illness; in partnership with the 4Roots Farm, the CHI intends to understand how improved food quality improves human health.

Education Center*
The multiple-award-winning Education Center (EC) is the first building in Florida to attain the energy-petal certification of the Living Building Challenge, a monumental achievement! With the EC slated for occupancy in late July, the 4Roots Farm Campus will complete Phase I - Education of the campus plan.

Back of the Education Center
Photo courtesy of Holly Elmore Images

As workers were busy within the EC, Brianna welcomed the Ei group into the impressive building. Glass walls and windows within the EC are Halio Smart Glass, the only dynamic glass that tints in real-time to optimal levels as daylight changes. Per Tommy, the smart glass deciphers weather conditions and communicates to the building operating system with commands such as turn on fans, turn up the air conditioning, open windows, etc.

Designed in a modular fashion as the first mass-timber commercial structure in Florida, the EC may be completely dismantled, moved, and reassembled in another location. As required by the Living Building Challenge, the majority of the building's structural components were sourced from within 400 miles of the 4Roots campus.

Beyond energy efficient, the EC solar panel system is expected to generate at least 105% of the building's electricity requirements. Excess electricity will be stored in an onsite microgrid for use in other facilities. Rainwater and air conditioning condensation are collected in four large citrines for use in toilet flushing and outdoor-farm irrigation. 

4Roots partnered with Valencia College for use of the EC state-of-the-art facilities. An estimated 400 students will take a total three courses hosted at the EC.

The HEI-photo gallery, 05-17-24 4Roots Farm Campus Tour, provides a pictorial recount of the 4Roots tour.

* the majority of the EC section copy was paraphrased or directly quoted from Tommy's answers to the author's questions.

Phase II
With the completion of Phase I slated for next month, 4Roots is preparing for Phase II - Community. According to John in a November 2023 press release:

4Roots Phase II Rendering

"The second phase of the Farm Campus shifts the focus from education to the community, it is designed to create a place to gather where guests, from children to grandparents, will “wander in wonder” learning about the beauty and importance of nature and the important role it plays in both planet and human health, It provides spaces for our community to come together to learn, listen and celebrate.”

 Details of $28.1 million Phase II include:

• Event Center: 7,500 sq. ft. with 300 seats
• Community Green: ¾ acre with 4,300 sq. ft. stage
• Café and retail space: 5,100 sq. ft.
• Culinary Health Institute: 5,300 sq. ft.

From the press release:

“As we near the completion of Phase I which focused on education, the board at Dr. Phillips was inspired to continue our investment into Phase II,” said Ken Robinson, President & CEO, Dr. Phillips Inc. “The new phase allows 4Roots to invite a broader community of students, farmers, scientists, and the public to the Farm Campus and build out its programmatic schedule beyond education. Dr. Phillips commitment of an additional $5,000,000 for the newest phase puts our total commitment to the 4Roots Farm Campus at $11,000,000. We applaud their efforts and are proud to continue our support of 4Roots.”

As of publication of this article, Phase II funding efforts continue.

Fully settled in the new Sarasota-based headquarters and emerged from the chrysalis stage, Ei was honored to resume Ei Tours via the 4Roots Farm Campus Tour. Future tours will showcase 4Roots incredible vision and accomplishments to new audiences and potential funders.

_______________________________________

Tax-deductible donations in any amount are greatly appreciated to support Ei's important work. 

DONATE HERE

About Earth Impact:

Earth Impact (formerly Elemental Impact) (Ei) is a 501(c)3 non-profit founded in 2010 as the home to the Zero Waste Zones, the forerunner in the nation for the commercial collection of food waste for compost. In June 2017, Ei announced the Era of Recycling Refinement was Mission Accomplished and entered the Era of Regeneration (June 2017 - June 2024). Focus areas included Nature Prevails, Soil Health | Regenerative Agriculture, and Water Use | Toxicity.

The Regeneration in ACTION Magazine articles, From Organic Certification to Regenerative Agriculture to Rewilding Landscapes: an evolution towards soil integrity and SOIL & WATER: the foundation of life, published to explain and substantiate the importance of Ei’s rewilding urban landscapes work within the Nature Prevails focus area. What We Eat Matters is an emerging platform that intertwines within the three focus areas.

As Ei enters the Era of Impact (June 2024 – present,) gears shift to a new business model, Ei Educates. Though education was always integral to Ei’s important work, the  primary focus was on projects, pilots, and initiatives supported by Ei Partners. The Regeneration Era focus areas carry over into the Era of Impact.

The Holly Elmore Images Rewilding Urban Landscapes-album folder documents two active pilots: the Native-Plant Landscape Pilot and the Backyard Permaculture-Oriented Pilot. The Ei Pilots serve as an educational program.

MISSION:

To work with industry leaders to create best regenerative operating practices where the entire value-chain benefits, including corporate bottom lines, communities, and the environment. Through education and collaboration, establish best practices as standard practices.

Ei’s tagline – Regeneration in ACTION – is the foundation for Ei endeavors.

The following mantra is at the core of Ei work:

Ei is a creator, an incubator.

Ei determines what could be done that is not being done and gets it done.

Ei brings the possible out of impossible.

Ei identifies pioneers and creates heroes.

For additional information, contact Holly Elmore at 404-510-9336 | holly@earth-impact.org.

#schoolfoodROCKS: indeed, school food does rock in Greenville County, SC!

Greenville County Schools (GCS) Food and Nutrition Services (FANS) Director Joe Urban created the #schoolfoodROCKS social-media branding for the incredible school-foodservice operation under his direction. Passionate about establishing healthy-food-school programs as the standard across the nation and beyond, Joe uses GCS FANS's success to inspire other school systems to evolve their food programs.

A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School

The evolution of the GCS FANS-food program inaugurated in 2010 with the support of then Superintendent Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher. Soon-to-open A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School was designated as the pilot for the healthy-food program. Ron Jones was hired as a GCS FANS Culinary Specialist to develop and oversee the pilot.

Once the FANS healthy-food program grew into standard-operating practices, Ron left GCS FANS for his current position, Director of the Office of Health and Nutrition at the South Carolina State Department of Education. In the meantime, Joe was promoted to GCS FANS Director.

Elemental Impact Visits Greenville
In October 2018 Elemental Impact (Ei) along with Ei Strategic Ally Feed & Seed hosted the Ei Exploration of Fungi, Soil Health and World Hunger. During the final exploration session at the Clemson organic-student farm, Feed & Seed Chair Mary Hipp shared on the amazing healthy-food school programs at Greenville County Schools as well as up the road 20+ miles at Spartanburg County Schools, District Six.

Inspired, Ei Founder Holly Elmore traveled to Greenville in May 2019 to meet the masterminds behind the healthy-food school programs and tour their respective operations. Mary was generous with her time, connections and spirit as she hosted Holly for two consecutive days of meetings and tours.

Lunch served during FANS visit

On May 15 Joe, along with FANS Coordinator of Operations Paula Wambeke and Culinary Specialist Brian Hickey, hosted Mary and Holly for an introductory meeting on GSC FANS' impressive healthy-meals program. Following the program history and current scenario education, the group toured the Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School cafeteria and enjoyed an amazing lunch.

The lunch was absolutely delicious and healthy! Joe made it clear the lunch served was standard fare and the staff was unaware of the cafeteria visit.

Holly was thrilled the homemade mac 'n cheese was on the menu as well as the Philly-cheesesteak sandwich made with Certified Angus Beef sliced steak. The mac 'n cheese as well as the corn & potato chowder were made with local milk that arrives with cream on the top. Plump farm-fresh strawberries and blueberries were the two fruit options and were divinely delicious. Holly's only lunch disappointment was her request for a half-sandwich instead of the full-serving.

GCS FANS - at a glance
Located in the South Carolina Upstate, GCS is the largest school system in the state with 76,000+ students and the 44th largest in the nation. The 750 FANS-foodservice professionals serve approximately 80,000 meals daily while school is in session for a total of 14 million meals annually. GCS includes 100 school facilities and special centers while FANS operates 93 commercial kitchens.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Greenville comprises a total area of 795-square miles, consisting of 785-square miles of land and nearly 10-square miles of water. With the vast topography, the GCS-student population is diverse, from an economic status as well as their ethnic-heritage perspective.

When classes are in session, each school serves breakfast and lunch daily and several augment with afternoon snacks. Though the national average is about 50%, approximately 75% of GCS students eat FANS meals during the school year. Breakfast is free to every child, no matter their subsidy status. Of the 30% of the students who choose breakfast, the vast majority are on the subsidized plan.

During the summer, FANS continues to offer meals in less affluent neighborhoods via eight stops by the food truck (bagged lunches), 25 community sites (bagged lunches), and 25 schools (hot meals). FANS serves up to 5,000 meals Monday through Friday in the summer yet the number may get as low as 2,000 meals.

An Evolution to Healthy Food
With success at the 2010 A.J. Whittenberg Elementary School pilot, by 2011 ten additional elementary schools were initiated into the healthy-food-school program. The strategy was to start with the younger students in elementary schools followed by a rollout in the middle and high schools. Soon, the first class that consumed healthy food through their entire GCS tenure graduates.

Early program challenges included parental resistance, limited purchasing options via the state-purchasing group, staff unskilled in basic-kitchen protocol, and developing healthy menus that garnered student approval.

Each lunch shift fills the cafeteria
 with students eager to eat lunch.

Surprisingly, in the beginning FANS experienced parental push-back related to a "do not tell our kids what to eat" attitude. In addition, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (Sec. 204 of Public Law 111-296) and parents were resentful of the government essentially saying "what you have been doing food wise is wrong."

Using foresight, FANS developed a lunch program that far exceeded the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) new regulations. According to the NSLP Fact Sheet:

The NSLP is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child-care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or no-cost lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946. 

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers the Program at the Federal level. At the State level, the NSLP is administered by State agencies, which operate the Program through agreements with school-food authorities.

By 2016, 30.4 million students participated in the NSLP. School-lunch programs must strictly adhere to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 to receive reimbursement for the free and low-cost lunches served pursuant to the Act.

In 2012, FANS left the SC Purchasing Alliance, evolved their purchasing decisions, and developed their own bid specifications. Using their significant power-of-consumer demand, FANS worked in partnership with a broad-line distributor to develop a local-products and made-from-scratch purchasing platform. Beyond the purchasing flexibility afforded by contracting with them, FANS relies on a broad-line distributor to ensure local farmers and other applicable purveyors are USDA Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified, as required by the NSLP. Joe emphasizes the importance of working in partnership with vendors.

Food safety first in FANS kitchens:
employee temperature tests chicken
tenders prior to service

An added regional benefit of FANS' contract is a local broad-line distributor now carries a wide variety of local products that are also available to smaller foodservice customers. Closeby Furman University demands their contracted foodservice operator Bon Appetit adhere to similar local and organic-purchasing regimine. Thanks to FANS, Bon Appetit has access to such products from a local broad-line distributor.

Before embarking on the healthy-food-school program, FANS staff served prepared food that required minimal to no cooking skills. Fresh food was reasonably non-existent. Thus, the staff required significant culinary-skills training to prep, cook, and serve menu items made in-house.

Over years, the entire FANS 750-person staff participated in Culinary Creations where they learned valuable skills in nutrition, safety, cost control, production line and setup.

According to a May 2013 Foodservice Director profile, Eileen Staples: Staying Ahead, Eileen Staples didn't wait for new meal regs to kick in, she made adjustments on her own, then FANS Director Eileen Staples renovated GCS foodservice in anticipation of the forthcoming USDA regulations as follows:

• Developing Culinary Creations, a dining program that improves the quality and healthfulness of meals. A chef was hired to lead the program, in which more items are cooked from scratch.
• Focusing on training, particularly food safety, to ensure the department’s goals are consistent throughout this large district.
• Renovating or rebuilding 60 school cafeterias, which led to increased participation.
• Taking over school stores to sell students food items and school supplies.

Garnering student approval of the healthy food-school program was a process that continues today. For a year, FANS management simply witnessed student-eating habits and watched the lines. Management listened to the students with open ears without getting offended. Starting with the younger children was strategic as the older students' expectations were influenced by years of eating unhealthy school food.

Self-serve salad bar at a
middle school

Joe pays particular attention to trends, especially student preferences at food courts. Students prefer diversity and like to compile meals themselves from a variety of options. Thus, the high school offers mac 'n cheese, hamburger, taco and other build-your-own bars. All school cafeterias menus include salad bars.

According to Joe, kids will eat anything served for free from a food truck. Thus, FANS often tests new menu items from their food truck for student feedback, especially for ethnic recipes.

FANS menus are sensitive to allergies and cultural | personal dietary restrictions. Each day students may create vegetarian or vegan meals from the standard-menu offerings.

The Many Facets of Success

By 2014, the healthy-food-school-program foundation was established and ready to catapult to next dimensions. With perfect timing, Joe was promoted to FANS Director and took the helm of the entire foodservice operation. Using his in-depth culinary background, Joe implemented his vision of serving students high-quality, nutritious food on a daily basis.

Canned fruit was banned from FANS kitchens and replaced with seasonal, fresh fruit, locally grown when practical. Soups offered daily are made from scratch in the kitchens. 

Philly-cheesesteak sandwiches
made with Certified Angus Beef
sliced steak.

FANS' beef-menu items are made from 100% Certified Angus Beef, whether the ground-beef 4-ounces hamburger patties or the Philly-cheesesteak sandwiches made with sliced steak. Reportedly, GCS FANS is the only school system in the nation serving 100% Certified Angus Beef.

Highly processed chicken was replaced with minimally processed whole-muscle items. Delicious chicken tenders are one of the standard daily menu options; in the middle and high-school menus, chicken tenders are purchased as a la carte items.

Premium seafood - Alaskan pollock or salmon, mahi-mahi, catfish, trout - is a priority in menu development. Seafood is served a minimum of once per week for all grade levels.

“Super-premium” items like St. Louis-style ribs, smoked beef brisket, salmon, chicken wings and chicken and waffle sandwiches were added to the rotating-school menu.

In late 2016, FANS purchased a used bread truck for $11,000 with only 36,000 miles. With another approximately $39,000 spent in renovations, FANS was the proud owner of a cool food truck for a $50,000 investment. The food truck's purpose was to increase the number of meals served in the summer program, to provide value-added services to schools for special events, and for taste-testing potential new menu items. The food truck was completely funded from the FANS-operating budget.

As previously mentioned, there is considerable diversity in the county's school-district-economic status, ranging from affluent to impoverished or at least economically challenged. FANS has a strict policy that every school is served an identical menu, with absolutely no favoritism towards the more affluent schools.

Fresh seasonal fruit is
self-service on the food line.

Beyond serving students healthy food, FANS encourages students interested in the culinary arts. Beginning in 2015, FANS participated in a kids-cooking contest at Euphoria, an acclaimed food, music and arts festival hosted in Greenville. The contest pairs the student with a celebrity chef in town for the festival; the chef serves as the student's sous chef in the timed-recipe challenge. One of the contest awards is the winner's recipe is added to the FANS menu.

Often FANS develops culinary programs that complement academic curriculum. Several cafeterias participate in Low CoConservation lessons via vertical-hydroponics systems. Herbs and microgreens grown in the vertical-tower gardens are served on the salad bars and as garnish. Another example was an educational trout program where the students nurtured trout from eggs to alevins (baby trout) to fish ready for release. Thus, the students follow trout from eggs to the plate with trout on the lunch menu.

When a third-grade class studied traditional Carolina cooking, Joe pulled on his extensive celebrity-chef connections to craft a low-country boil as well as slow-smoking a whole hog overnight. Anthony DiBernardo (Swig & Swine BBQ) and Johnny Carino (Carino’s Italian) joined Joe for the impressive, tasty educational event. Anthony slow-smoked the hog along with 23 pork shoulders for pulled-pork sandwiches while Johnny used locally sourced shrimp from Buford, SC for the low-country boil.

According to Joe, “We parked a rig just outside the cafeteria where the kids could see it through the glass when they arrived in the morning.” Students as well as their parents enjoyed a tasty local lunch that augmented class curriculum.

Awards & Accolades

GCS FANS is the recipient of numerous national awards and international recognition over a range of categories. In 2015 and 2016, GCS FANS earned USDA Best Practices Awards in Fiscal Management. The prestigious award recognizes school districts that utilize creative and accountable practices for managing finances in tough economic times including practices that reduce costs and/or increase efficiency in school-nutrition programs and efforts to better serve program participants more efficiently with available resources.

Joe knows success requires teamwork.
FANS Management team with Feed & Seed
Mary Hipp. Pictured left to right:
Paula Wambeke, Joe, Mary & Brian Hickey

When the Seafood Nutrition Partnership (SNP) named him an Ambassador in May 2017, Joe received global recognition for revolutionizing school-food programs. According to the SNP site, Ambassadors are comprised of high-profile individuals that have a passion for health & wellness, seafood nutrition, and addressing America’s public-health crisis. As stated in the Joe Urban Is Inspiring Kids to Eat Healthier by Redefining What School Food Can Be press release, the SLP believes Joe is a School-Lunch Hero.

Per fellow Ambassador Johnny Carino, "Joe is a pioneer. He pushes his staff daily to get better, to undergo training, to create new dishes in his test kitchen, and to inspire other schools to take school food to a new level."

In January 2018 Food Management announced: K-12 Innovator of the Year: Greenville County Schools with an in-depth article on GCS FANS. The article highlights Joe's ingenious path to creating the award-winning school-food program. Beyond serving healthy food to the students, FANS empowers employees and makes innovative contributions to school-course curriculum.

Fiscally Fit
Though there is unwavering GCS support of the healthy-food-school program, FANS must maintain fiscal responsibility and cover 100% of its costs; there are no subsidies or draws from the county general-fund available. Thus, Joe uses his extensive restaurant experience and runs FANS like a chain-restaurant business versus a government-school system.

Each kitchen manager is responsible for managing costs at their school cafeteria. Food and dry-good ordering is done at the kitchen level using a standardized purchasing system. Employees, whether management or hourly, are empowered with ample training and take ownership of serving healthy food with smiles to students.

FANS's back-of-house kitchens are
neat, spotless and organized, all indicators
of an exceptionally well-run kitchen. 

The foodservice industry is notorious for costly high-labor turnover. Restaurants rarely offer health-insurance benefits to hourly employees and only sometimes to management. FANS employees are treated respectfully, trained on a continuous basis to develop strong culinary skills, and receive full county-health-insurance benefits. Additionally, work is complete in the early afternoon. Thus, employees are free to work another job or simply spend time with their children in the afternoon.

Thus, FANS experiences low-employee turnover.

Working in partnership with vendors is key to maintaining consistently low-cost margins and taking advantage of spur-of-the-moment opportunities due to market surplus. As previously stated, FANS serves 14-million meals annually and has considerable purchasing power to negotiate contracts with low-cost margins.

Yet, astute business acumen is necessary to operate a 750-employee business in a cost-effective manner. Joe Urban expertly intertwines his profound passion with business-savvy finesse and runs an award-winning healthy-food school program.

A section in the Holly Elmore Images FB album, Greenville, SC, gives a pictorial recap of the GSC FANS' cafeteria tour and lunch.

Indeed, #schoolfoodROCKS at Greenville County Schools Nutrition and Food Services! Now it is time replicate the successful template across South Carolina, the Southeast, and the nation.

The Power of Tours

Tour group shot @ a
Charlotte MRF

Throughout Elemental Impact's (Ei) eight-year history, tours played an integral role in educating the Ei Team on current scenarios and creative solutions to challenging situations.

In the early Zero Waste Zones days, tours centered around MRFs (material recovery facilities), recycling centers, manufacturers where recyclable items are raw materials, and generators with successful source-separated material systems in place. As Ei work segued to Sustainable Food Court Initiative (SFCI) Pilots, tours focused on large generators where the consumer is responsible for material disposal. 

As the SFCI-Airport Pilot, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the busiest airport in the world, hosted the SFCI Team on International Terminal tours during construction and post-opening. The ZWA Blog article, SFCI Team Tours New ATL Airport Int'l Concourse, chronicles the during construction tour; the SFCI Atlanta Airport Pilot: ACTION Resumes article showcases the post-opening tour.

Tim with post-game collected
food waste & packaging 

At the SFCI-Event Venue Pilot, the Georgia Dome hosted several Falcons games tours to understand post-consumer food waste and packaging generated by the concessionaire and disposed of by the fans. The ZWA Blog article, Winning Recycling Seasons: Team Work Required!, provides a recap of the 2013 game day recycling tour with the Mercedes Benz Stadium architects.

The Ei Tours website page details the many Ei-hosted tours, segregated by Farm, Industry, Partner, and SFCI Tours. Each tour is supported by a blog article and Ei FB album.

In July 2017, Ei shifted gears within the spiral of humanity's environmental impact. Ei evolved from a focus on Recycling Refinement and Post-Consumer Food Waste to Soil Health, regenerating the foundation of life. The ZWA Blog article, Soil Health: regenerating the foundation of life, announces the new platform and showcases the powerful foundation built within the Recycling Refinement platform and Post-Consumer Food waste focus area.

In preparation for the official Soil Health platform announcement, Ei embarked on a Farm Tour series in early 2017 with Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) Director of Sustainability Tim Trefzer. Ei Farm Tours are focused on farms following regenerative agricultural practices, with a strong emphasis on rebuilding healthy soils. In addition, Tim stepped into his new Ei Leadership role as the SFCI Chair.

David educates Tim on the food
waste composting windrows

First on the tour agenda was the February tour of the King of Crops Farm, located 25 minutes from downtown Atlanta. King of Pops, a popular hand-crafted popsicle company, purchased the farm to source locally grown organic ingredients nurtured within regenerative agriculture practices. Farm Manager Russell Hondered treated the group to a thorough farm tour including a narrative on its history as a well-established nursery. Remnants from the past are evident throughout the land adding character to the farm.

In addition to farming, King of Crops is a state-permitted food waste compost site. Commercial and residential food waste hauler Compost Wheels delivers their material to the farm. Compost Wheels CEO David Paull joined the tour and educated on the farm food waste composting practices.

Hickory Grove Farm entrance

Next on the agenda was a Kennesaw State University (KSU) Hickory Grove Farm tour. Kim Charick with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 (Southeast Region) joined Tim and Ei Founder Holly Elmore. Farm Operations Manager Michael Blackwell and KSU Professor Jorge Perez gave a thorough farm tour, along with details on the land history.

In 2013 the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) leased the 26-acre tract of land to KSU for farm use. Formally, the site was the GDOT cement mixing site for nearby I-75 construction. Though not toxic, the soil was severely compacted and devoid of necessary minerals to sustain a healthy soil ecosystem. In addition, storm water flowed off the property, rather than hydrate the "dead soil."

Natural farm retention pond

With patience, tenacity and a strategic plan, the KSU Leven School of Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality restored the land through regenerative agriculture practices. Simple, effective storm water management techniques retain water on the property, including a vibrant natural retention pond. Soil restoration is a partnership with the land; continued nurturing through compost use, crop rotation and other regenerative applications are necessary to maintain and improve soil health.

In addition to serving as a laboratory for the Leven School and other departments, the farm supplies produce for The Commons, KSU's Gold LEED Certified dining hall. The farm's happy hens often supply 100% of the dining service's egg demand!

Student farm worker with
the happy hens

Within the farm operations is the state-of-the-art Hydroponic Lab where tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers are grown year round. Student volunteers stamp out soil blocks for seed planting in the Propagation Lab. Once germinated, the seedling soil blocks are planted in the High Tunnel and tended through harvest. By using soil blocks, the use of small plastic containers to grow saplings is eliminated.

Inspired by the farm tours, Tim teamed with Levy Restaurants Executive Chef Matt Roach and GWCC Grounds Operation Manager Steve Ware to identify an on-campus mini-farm area. The intent is to use regenerative agriculture practices at the on-campus mini-farm to produce food for the employee dining facility. 

In late July, Ei hosted the GWCC Team at Hickory Grove Farm where Michael & Jorge educated on regenerative agriculture practices along with crop choice advice; Steve shared his extensive horticulture expertise, especially pertaining to plant | tree identification in the farm's old growth forest areas.

Tour group shot within one of
the American Chesnut sprouts.

In the farm's old growth forest, there are two healthy shoots from former magnificent American Chestnuts killed by the chestnut blight. It is estimated 3 - 4 billion American Chestnuts were killed by the blight in the first half of the 20th century. Though healthy in appearance, the shoots remain vulnerable to the blight.

The GWCC team departed in high spirits, thrilled with on-campus farming opportunities and new friends at a fellow state-owned Institute.

For a pictorial recount of the Hickory Grove Farm tours, visit the Holly Elmore Images FB album, KSU Leven School of Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality. The Ei FB album, Ei Connects, includes a section on the King of Crops Farm Tour.

Beyond their educational value, tours build strong bonds among industry colleagues and inspire new, innovative projects. Ei is excited to embark on a Farm Tour series filled with new discoveries, inspiration, and empowerment within the Soil Health platform.

The potential GWCC on-campus mini-farm is a prime example of The Power of Tours! 

"Seeing is Believing" - the magic of tours

At the foundation of Elemental Impact's tagline Sustainability in ACTION is integrity.  Ei Partners are committed to working as a team to develop flexible programs and practices that evolve along with shifts in technology, circumstances and economic parameters. Education is essential to weave integrity within program|practice development.

Jim Lanier w/ Earth Farms

educating Ei Ptrs

Tours are excellent vehicles to learn first-hand about industry practices and fellow partner business expertise. Ei hosts industry and partner tours designed for experiential education, strategic planning and bonding among the Ei Team. Tour participation is open to Ei Partners, Strategic Allies and Advisory Council Members.

March was full of amazing tours beginning with the powerful Charlotte Ei Partner Tours. The IMPACT Blog  post, Charlotte Ei Partner Tours, is an overview of the two days hosted by Ei Partners HMSHost and Simon Property Group. The ZWA Blog post, Bring the Possible out of Impossible, dives deeper into the tours & presentations with a focus on food waste collection, wasted food donation and plastic film recycling.

As the month closed Ei embarked on a series of metro-Atlanta educational tours focused on existing operations and exploring innovative technology.

With the Sustainable Food Court Initiative Atlanta Airport pilot shift to Republic Services for their waste & recycling services, Michael Cheyne - Atlanta Airport director, asset management & sustainability - requested a tour of the airport's recycling stream destination. Republic delivers the airport recycling stream to the PrattRecycling MRF (material recovery facility) in East Point.

Myles & Scott during tour

With schedules flowing, Ei Chair Scott Seydel and Myles Cohen - Pratt Recycling president- made the tour a priority in their hectic calendars.The tour started with a presentation of Pratt Industries & Pratt Recycling - impressive! Then Myles took the group, including Republic Services associates in-charge of the airport contract, on a MRF tour.

Simplicity is the theme at the Pratt MRF, which results in cost-effective, clean material bales. Mixed paper & OCC (old corrugated cardboard) are transferred to the Pratt mill in Conyers as feedstock for their 100% recycled content cardboard production. Other content is sold in the commodity market for recycling.

Contaminated material not fit for recycling is used in the Pratt Mill's gasification plant, none is landfill destined. The Ei FB album, 03-25-13 Pratt MRF Tour, is a pictorial recap of the tour.

compost screening @ Wilbros

Later in the week Michael, Ei founder Holly Elmore and Melissa Selem traveled to Toccoa, 90 miles north of Atlanta, to visit Wilbros Organic Recovery & Biofuels facility. As of this post writing, Wilbros is the only composting site in GA permitted to accept food waste that is accepting food waste. Only one hauler, Southern Green Industries - an Ei Supporter - is collecting Atlanta commercial food waste for transport to Wilbros.

Wiblros founder Joe Wilbanks gave an excellent facility tour including their on-site water treatment system, biofuel production and composting site. Despite local odor complaints, the site had the sweet smell of compost, not offensive to anyone who loves soil. For a tour pictorial recap, see the Ei FB album, 03-29-13 Wilbros Organic Recovery & Biofuels Tour.

In mid 2012 SFCI Atlanta Airport Pilot went into a holding pattern while the new airport concessions contract went into effect. Here is a quick summary of the contract status: 

The Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport concessionaire contract requires food vendors to use compostable serviceware along with consumer facing packaging for single-use items.  Due to the phase-in nature of the contract, the entire Airport will be operational under the new contract in the first quarter 2014.  The Airport’s on-site food waste composting system is scheduled to accept material by the end of 2014.  Although encouraged to meet the provision upon opening, concessionaires operate within a grace period until December 31, 2014, upon which the compostable packaging provision will be enforced.

For details on the contract provision along with the SFCI Team supporting role, see the ZWA Blog post, Atlanta Airport Makes Bold Statement, for details on the contract provision. 

SFCI Team tours the Int'l
Concourse near end of  construction

In mid-April, the SFCI Team reconvenes at the International Concourse for a tour & meeting. With a new waste & recycling hauler, fresh energy is interjected into the Team. Ei Partner HMSHost operates the International Concourse foodservice and is a true team player.Action is around the corner!

Rounding out the March tours Scott and Holly were treated to a tour of the recently opened GenAgain plant located in Lithia Springs. Using innovative technology, GenAgain accepts "dirty plastic" generally landfilled or sent overseas.and returns it to petroleum. Plastic contaminated with oil, such as motor oil containers, are perfect for GenAgain. Landfill destined rigid plastics from toys, lawn furniture etc. are accepted once non-plastic items (batteries for example) are removed and the plastic is chipped to a specified size.

Scott & GenAgain managing
partner Robin Curtis at tour end

Currently, three other U.S. plants are operating with the same technology and GenAgain plans to build 15 more plants in the Southeast over the next five years. Once opening glitches are discovered, Ei intends  to schedule a tour with Atlanta zero waste leaders to maximize the recycling opportunities offered by GenAgain.

"Seeing is Believing" is inherent within the importance of tours.  With the plethora of educational tools available - webinars, videos, photo albums - there is something magical about the physical presence. Witnessing the passion of facility owners & managers as they educate on their operations is beyond inspiring. Synergies abound and potentials often move into action.  Stay tuned for future Ei Tours and action points from the March tour marathon.