Flint Hills Food Recovery at K-State

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Flint Hills Food Recovery at K-State

Flint Hills Food Recovery at K-State

Our goal is to integrate food recovery into every university event so surplus food reaches those in need instead of going to waste. Our network of student and community volunteers have recovered over 40,000 pounds of food in the community in the past eighteen months.

Now we seek your support to embed this system into our campus culture. We utilize the ChowMatch app, to connect food business donors with local pantries, shelters, and community programs.

Mission

Flint Hills Food Recovery at Kansas State University is dedicated to eliminating food waste and fighting hunger in Manhattan and Riley County. By leveraging a user-friendly app, we connect surplus food from local food business donors like caterers, restaurants, grocers, and farms to community partners such as pantries and shelters where it can make the greatest impact. This ensures that no safe and edible food is wasted and helps to support those experiencing food insecurity. By integrating food recovery efforts at all levels throughout the university, we affirm our commitment as a Health Promoting University to supporting our students and the community.

Vision

Our vision is to create a food recovery system at Kansas State University that is embedded collaboratively and sustainably in the countywide Food and Farm Council’s Flint Hills Food Recovery program. Through building relationships with donors, engaging volunteers, and promoting education, we aim to bridge the gap between food waste and hunger through efforts that protect the environment. As a land grant University this step forward can serve as a model for other universities across the nation. Now as a Health-Promoting University we have a commitment to prioritizing the physical, mental, and emotional health of both our campus and the greater community.

Frequently asked questions

What is Flint Hills Food Recovery?

Flint Hills Food Recovery is a program of the Food and Farm Council of Riley County and the City of Manhattan, committed to bridging the gap between abundance and need by facilitating the rescue and transfer of edible food that would otherwise go to waste. We work to efficiently to connect this food directly to the local community organizations and programs where it can have the greatest impact.

We use an app called ChowMatch to connect food businesses with food assistance organizations. Donors (such as restaurants and caterers) enter their safely held, without exposure to the public, surplus food into ChowMatch and volunteers deliver it to recipients (such as food pantries and emergency shelters). The app coordinates connections between partners, and all partners follow standard food safety guidelines.

We hope to expand awareness and participation in the program in an attempt to reduce waste and provide more people in need of safe, nutritious food.

Is Flint Hills Food Recovery mandatory for all university events?

No, but as a Health Promoting University we want to integrate this initiative into who we are as a university. We believe that recovering food will not only help the physical and mental health of student and community member recipients but also the health of our environment.

What is the Health Promoting University initiative?

On November 28, 2023, K-State adopted the Okanagan Charter, cementing its commitment to prioritize physical, mental, and emotional health of not only the campus but also the broader community. The Health Promoting University Committee was formed by Co-Chairs First Lady Sally Linton and Kathleen Hatch to lead and promote health collaboration and action.

Who can participate in Flint Hills Food Recovery (FHFR)? Donor, Recipient or Volunteer

DONOR: Riley County and the City of Manhattan-licensed food businesses including caterers, grocers, farmers, farmers’ markets, restaurants and other institutions can donate food.

RECIPIENT: Food assistance/social service organizations that provide people in Riley County and the City of Manhattan supplemental food can receive food from the system.

VOLUNTEER: Individuals over the age of 18, licensed to drive a vehicle, can volunteer as food runners and transport donated food from donor to recipient food assistance agencies.

How do we make sure our caterer recovers any excess food from our event?

If the event’s food is purchased via a food business donor that is already in the Flint Hills Food Recovery system, all you need to do is request that the food business donor schedule any excess food through the ChowMatch app to be recovered.

We have 38 food businesses in our system so the likelihood is they are in the system and familiar with the process. If you work with a business NOT in our system, contact us to get set-up.

What if we purchase food from a food business but it’s a “drop off” and they are not present during or after the event to do food recovery?

If the provided food is being dropped off, meaning that the food business will not be at the conclusion of the event, you become a “secondary” donor and must register your college, student group or university affiliated organization as the donor.

To do this you will need to register as a donor in the ChowMatch app. You should register if you think you might have need for this service in the future to be ready to schedule a run if/when it’s needed. Food recovery runs can only be done if a donor has an account in the system.

What resources are available to us for this initiative?

The Food and Farm Council of Riley County and City of Manhattan website, Nourish Together, outlines resources and information for this initiative. Here, you will find Food Safety Guidelines (pdf), Policies and Procedures (pdf), overview videos, how to set up an account, and how to schedule a food run as a donor.

What foods can be recovered?

Dairy products, raw or cooked meats, fresh produce, dry goods, prepared foods and bakery foods may be donated. Food must originate from a licensed food establishment, handled in a food-safe manner, be of acceptable quality and within its expiration date. Further information is available in our Food Safety Guidelines (pdf).

Does this recovered food go to Cats’ Cupboard?

The greatest part of our system is that recovered foods are matched through an app with the most appropriate recipient site depending on the type and amount of food, availability to receive food and audience.

This initiative supports ten receiving sites including Cats’ Cupboard our campus pantry, the Manhattan Emergency Shelter, Flint Hills Breadbasket, Common Table Communal Meals, True Colors, UFM YouthBuild Program, Big Lakes Developmental Center, Be Able, Northern Riley County Pantry, and MART (Manhattan Area Resettlement Program).

Populations range from homeless to high-risk food insecure; senior citizens; K-State students, primarily those with limited income, including a high percentage of those as international students; war torn refugees resettled in Manhattan; military families with one or more members of the household deployed; and those with varied levels of mental health challenges.

Can we donate food prepared in classes or from home?

Donated food must come from a licensed food establishment and is subject to local and statewide food safety requirements. Donated food is packaged in a manner to protect it from external contamination.

What specific actions can student organizations, groups, or colleges take to integrate and promote food recovery?

Know what foods can be safely recovered and what Food Safety Guidelines (pdf) need to be followed. Request any excess food be scheduled for recovery by your caterer. If you serve as a secondary caterer, open an account in ChowMatch and schedule the run yourself.

How can we make sure that the donated food meets food safety standards?

Both donors and volunteers have to adhere to all Food Safety Guidelines (pdf) and volunteers must take a quiz to prove their knowledge before their first food recovery run.

How do I become a volunteer food runner?

Create a volunteer account through the Flint Hills Food Recovery app, ChowMatch. Sign up as a volunteer and choose Kansas/Riley County as your location.

There will be a brief food safety quiz before your volunteer account can be activated, so it is recommended you review our Food Safety Guidelines (pdf).

Are there specific times of the day that volunteers are needed more?

Food recovery is variable and can be any day of the week and range from morning into the evening depending on the circumstances of the recovery. Once a volunteer has an account, they receive notice of runs and can accept a run or elect to not depending on their schedule.