Ross Commons
For the Ross Commons design, Middlebury worked with both the architects and Vermont Family Forests to design a building that incorporated local forest resources. Completed in 2000, the interior of the dining hall features local and sustainably harvested beech and birch wood. All three dining halls on campus place an emphasis on sourcing and serving locally and/or sustainably produced foods. Vegan and vegetarian options are always available. All dining halls participate in a reusable container exchange program to reduce food waste and eliminate single-use carry-out containers. Students also all receive their own reusable mugs to use in the dining halls instead of paper cups. Throughout the long and detailed process of installing Vermont wood into the Ross Commons facility, Middlebury used the help and services of local vendors and experts in the forest industry. For more information, visit the Ross Commons website.