Press Herald recognizes Taylor for sustainability efforts
Glenn Taylor, director of Dining Services at the University of Maine, was named a 2017 Source Award winner by the Portland Press Herald. The paper’s Source Awards honor the nonprofits, businesses and individuals who are working in Maine to find real-world solutions to environmental challenges. Taylor was given the Scion Award for his efforts to feed the next generation of Mainers and teach them about local food, according to the article. Six years ago, 10 percent of UMaine’s $6.5 million food budget went to local foods. This year, it’s 15 to 17 percent and still climbing, thanks in part to Taylor’s obsession with finding creative ways to buy from local farmers, the article states. “This is not rocket science,” Taylor said. “It’s about believing in something and talking through it and holding true to your commitments. It’s only dirt and seeds, you know. The rest of it is figuring out how to make it work.” In the last few years, there has been a push to incorporate more local food into dining halls across the University of Maine System, but many of the changes in Orono have been driven by Taylor’s passion for buying local, said Dan Sturrup, executive director of Auxiliary Services at UMaine. “We do have a passion for sustainability initiatives, but Glenn could have done a lot less and still achieved what the campus wanted. But he went above and beyond,” Sturrup said.