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Sustainable Sterling

Sterling College » About Sterling » Mission and Vision » Ecological Thinking and Action » Sustainable Sterling

"I change myself, I change the world."—Gloria Anzaldúa

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Taking Ecological Thinking and Action to Heart

At Sterling College in Craftsbury, Vermont, we eat, live, breathe, and study ecological thinking and action.

Whether it’s our environmentally focused curriculum, the mugs from which we drink our organic, shade-grown coffee, or the paper in our printers, it’s as green—ecologically sound—as we can get it.

We have no Director of Sustainability on campus. Why? Because we expect every person in our community to be pushing for more sustainable and ecologically sensitive choices.

Your entire education, from your core classes to your academic major, will focus on the one thing Sterling College does better than anyone else: We advance ecological thinking and action. And we do it exceptionally well.

Dig in to learn more!


Sterling’s Green Credentials

Sterling College’s remarkable commitment to sustainability has garnered national attention, positioning the college as a leader in campus sustainability efforts.

STARS Gold Rating—2019

STARS_gold-copy

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) offers a fully transparent, self-reporting system called STARS, allowing colleges and universities to track their sustainability performance. Sterling College has again been awarded a Gold rating with a total score of 78.28.

STARS Sustainable Campus Index—2019

AASHE cited Sterling College for best practices in its 2019 Sustainable Campus Index, including:

  • 2nd—Dining and Food
  • 3rd— among Baccalaureate Institutions Overall
  • 7th—Curriculum

Sierra Magazine Coolest Schools 2019

Sterling College is in the top 20 of the magazine’s annual “Greenest Schools in America” list, with a rank of #11 overall. We were also ranked:

  • #1 for Sustainable Food and Dining

Real Food

No vending machines. No soda. No mac-n-cheese from a box. Welcome to Sterling!

Real FoodSterling College was the top college in the United States serving food that is local, sustainable, humane, and fair-trade for three years in a row, according to the Real Food Challenge. While we have not participated in the Challenge in recent years, our commitment to sustainable food has not changed!

Not only that, our communal meals taste amazing. Here are some other things to know about food sustainability at Sterling:

Twenty percent of the food served on campus is grown by students in our own gardens, greenhouses, orchards, and forests. We use no chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

We don’t outsource what we put into our bodies. Rather, our chef and student workers in the Sterling Kitchen work to make the best use of our food resources to make healthy, tasty meals that accommodate the dietary needs of our community members.  The Sterling Kitchen is also a longtime member of the Vermont Fresh Network; we connect with local farms to put fresh food on the table.


Energy sustainability

  • Sterling College has been a leader in seeking alternative sources of energy and even investments to fuel our endeavors.
  • Sterling College was the third college in the nation, and the first college in Vermont, to divest its endowment from fossil fuel extractors.
  • Sterling will produce some of its energy through solar power after the installation of 11 new solar trackers on campus in 2016.
  • Sterling uses a mixed-power model of animal and machine on the farm and in the fields. Most of our field, garden, farm, and forest work is done with draft horses and people.
  • Sterling’s Green Bike Program provides us with a fleet of bicycles for use around campus and town.

Waste not

  • At Sterling College, we’re far from perfect, but we do our best to make do and mend and waste as little as possible.
  • Sterling College doesn’t have vending machines, nor do we use disposable dishes or utensils.
  • Sterling College stocks nontoxic, biodegradable cleaning products for use on campus.
  • Mixed source recycling is a Sterling way of life. Be sure to check out our “free box” for items to reuse.
  • We compost all food (pre- and post-consumer) and barn wastes then incorporate that compost into our soil.

 Green Building/Buying

  • Sterling College’s environmental commitment extends to our purchasing decision and campus expansion.
  • Sterling College publications are printed on recycled paper and use soy ink, and our printers are Forest Stewardship Council certified.
  • We purchase furniture through local manufacturers and craftsmen.
  • Instead of constructing new buildings, we renovate existing structures whenever possible, making use of natural light, solar hot water heaters, and radiant floor heating.
  • Sterling’s sawmill produces lumber from our managed woodlot. We use this lumber in many of our campus projects.

Green Spaces

  • At Sterling College, we have very few buildings and 130 acres upon which to explore and cast our imaginations. Located in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, we also look to other natural places nearby to teach us about the environment and ourselves.
  • We have a 100-plus-acre managed woodlot with nature trails and lean-tos.
  • Students pursue research projects in the 300-plus-acre Bear Swamp Wildlife Reserve 15 minutes from campus.
  • The Sterling Farm and Gardens not only put food on our tables but also serve as laboratories for best practices in sustainable agriculture.
  • The Virginia Russell Sugarbush, which produces the most delicious maple syrup ever, has been  recognized as being bird-friendly by Audubon Vermont.
  • Who needs to mow when you have cows, sheep, goats, and horses to do it for you?
Sterling College Rian Fried Center

Rian Fried Center

Rian Fried Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Our soils are eroding, our freshwater supply is dwindling, and our atmosphere is warming. Volatility is the new normal. According to…

Student Kali stands at the counter in the Sterling Kitchen, wearing a black apron, preparing colorful rainbow chard for a meal.

The Sterling Kitchen

The Sterling Kitchen Feeding Our Community   Food is central to life at Sterling College. Not only does it feed our community, it’s also part of our curriculum and our…

Real Food

Sterling College Claims #1 for Real Food on Campus for Second Year in a Row

February 11, 2016 • Craftsbury Common, VT • For the second consecutive year, Sterling College has been confirmed as the top college in the United States that serves food on…

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The Gear Design and Repair course being held in partnership with @alpine_luddites will give students the hands-on tool skills necessary to design, make, and care for outdoor gear and equipment. Students will be introduced to the history of gear manufacturing and learn about what goes into material selection and the manufacturing process. Students will also learn hands-on skills to do common gear repair both in and out of field situations.
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Things are on a roll at Sterling (pun intended) 🍱 Last Tuesday, the Sterling Kitchen hosted a Sushi Workshop featuring Faroe salmon and Ahi tuna from Stowe Seafood. Director of Dining Services, @eachad '14, demonstrated how to make Spicy Tuna, Salmon Avocado, and Philadelphia rolls - and the students made those and basically whatever the heck they wanted (even peanut butter made an appearance).
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Join us virtually by Zoom on Thursday, April 15th, 6:30pm - 7:30pm as we welcome Majora Carter, founder of Sustainable South Bronx and the Majora Carter Group, for a discussion on Environmental Justice: Implications of America’s Land Uses

The built environment plays an important role in community talent retention or repulsion. When the majority of success stories migrate out, communities are more vulnerable to the consequences of dirty power, transport, and waste management practices.

Join the Sterling College Environmental Justice Beyond Borders class as we explore the work of Majora Carter, environmental justice activist dedicated, in her words, to “greening the ghetto,” encouraging urban renewal, green-collar jobs, and environmental justice.

Majora Carter will share how her projects and policy initiatives have progressed over the years and produced valuable lessons across several fronts in the quest to make America as good as its promise. She is responsible for the creation and successful implementation of numerous economic developments, technology and green-infrastructure projects, policies, and job training and placement systems.

Majora’s pioneering sustainability work from one of America's most storied low-status communities, the South Bronx, has garnered a MacArthur 'genius' Fellowship, a Peabody Award, and 8 honorary PhDs, including one from Sterling College.

She and her teams at the Majora Carter Group develop vision, strategies, and the type of development that transforms low-status communities into thriving mixed-use local economies. Her approach harnesses capital flows resulting from American re-urbanization to help increase wealth building opportunities across demographics left out of all historic financial tide changes. 

This event is made possible by a generous Sterling family and is part of a Spring semester series that encourages listening to and conversations with distinguished and accomplished people working in mission-aligned focus areas to advance ecological thinking and action. Stay tuned for future events!

Link on bio.
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When we think of words to describe Sterling, community tops the list. When we think of ways to illustrate that, we think of current student, Aidan Levesque. Aidan has been spending his time in the Sterling Kitchen and making danishes for the weekend brunches. Nourish to flourish!
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"When you are new at sheep-raising and your ewe has a lamb, your impulse is to stay there and help it nurse and see to it and all. After a while, you know that the best thing you can do is walk out of the barn." - Wendell Berry ⁣
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#sheepofinstagram #farming #lambingseason #lambing #lambingtime #wendellberry
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Things are really taking off on the glasshouse, where we start all the seedlings for our summer gardens!  Tiny pepper plants have been transplanted by our work college garden crew, and every day students adjust temperatures, water, and keep tabs on the progress of the seedlings.
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Meet 2018 Alumni, Abbey Dearwester.  She educates some of the millions that visit Arches National Park annually in desert ecology, geology, indigenous history, and climate change and conservation. This includes education of school groups, families, and people from all over the world. She leads guided hikes, campfire programs, and stargazing programs at Arches, an International Dark Sky Park. Read more: Link on profile. ⁣
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#adventure #archesnationalpark #arches #nationalpark #archesnationalparkutah😊 #archesnationalparkutah🌵🌵 #utahgram #nature #moab #utah #nationalparks #moabutah #archesnationalparkutah
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Brennan Gallagher of the Wendell Berry Farming Program drives Molly and Mindy and brings up two sections of a northern red oak from the woodlot which will be used for a variety of green woodworking projects as we start work on our woodland workshop in the weeks to come. #wendellberryfarmingprogram
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We are pleased to announce the addition of a dazzle of Mountain Zebras to the Sterling College farm to compliment our fiber arts program!

"With the rise in demand for low impact black and white fiber, zebras offered an excellent solution for Sterling College to differentiate ourselves in the sustainable fiber market," remarks faculty who wish to remain anonymous. The pandemic allowed us the time to try our hand at zebra shearing, short haired equestrian yarn making, and the results have been tremendous! ⁣
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#aprilfoolsday
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From the Kitchen // We've been working with the Sterling Kitchen lately to highlight the goodness that is baked into every bite and also reinforce that even our dining hall is a component of our mission to advance ecological thinking and action (and eating).

So let's stir the soup:

Meet Bobber’s Seafood AKA (@bobbers_seafood )

We sourced monkfish from "Cranberry Bob" that were caught off the coast of New Hampshire from the F/V Rimrack - a family owned fishing business based out of Rye, NH since the 1970s.

U.S. wild-caught monkfish - also known as “poor-man’s lobster” for its flavor similarities - is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations. 

Bonus! Besides fish - the cranberries we all love as the holidays near are from Bobber as well!
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A rainy compost pickup with Susie, the Haflinger, with the help of students Gabby Shulkin, Emmet Gilbert and Andrew Wlodarczyk.
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Student Takeover // This spring students took part in a challenging hands-on, wheel throwing class. Students explored and developed some mastery with a range of pottery forms and techniques. This was an intensive, studio based, skill building workshop in wheel throwing techniques.

By the end of this course, students were able to throw a variety of basic pottery forms including bowls, mugs, tumblers, lidded jars, pitchers, and candleholders. Students gained some proficiency in a variety of surface decorating techniques including altering, carving, stamping, and glazing. Students also developed a vocabulary to discuss and critique pottery in terms of anatomy, form, craftsmanship, style, and functionality.
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Connect with Sterling Sterling College
PO Box 72
Craftsbury Common, VT 05827
(802) 586-7711

About Sterling

Sterling College uses education as a force to address critical ecological problems caused by unlimited growth and consumption that is destroying the planet as we have known it. Our mission is to advance ecological thinking and action through affordable experiential learning that prepares people to be knowledgeable, skilled, and responsible leaders in the communities in which they live.

Sterling acknowledges that the land on which we gather is the traditional and unceded territory of the Abenaki people on our Vermont campus, and the Shawnee, Osage, and the Eastern band of the Cherokee on our Kentucky campus.

Copyright 2021 Sterling College

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  • Institutional COVID Updates
  • About Sterling
    • At a Glance
    • Accreditation
    • Mission and Vision
      • Ecological Thinking and Action
      • Strategic Initiative
      • Sustainable Sterling
      • Back
    • Our Leadership
      • Our President
      • Board of Trustees
      • Board of Advisors
      • Alumni Association Board
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    • Inquire
    • Experience Sterling College
      • Interactive Campus Map
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      • Back
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      • Scholarships
      • Net Price Calculator
      • Work College
      • Back
    • Tuition, Room & Board
    • Back
  • Academics
    • Find your program
      • Ecology
      • Environmental Humanities
      • Outdoor Education
      • Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems
      • Self-Designed Major
      • Climate Justice Minor
      • Draft Animal Power Systems
      • Education Studies
      • Natural History Minor
      • Natural Resources Conservation Minor
      • Back
    • Faculty
    • Field Studies
    • Rian Fried Center
    • The Foundation of Sterling’s Curriculum
    • Course Catalog
    • Academic Calendar
    • Graduation Requirements
      • Senior Capstone
      • Back
    • Advising
    • Brown Library
    • Back
  • Wendell Berry Farming Program
    • Wendell Berry Farming Program Open House
    • Back
  • The Farm Between
  • Professional Studies
    • The New American Farmstead
    • Back
  • Life at Sterling
    • Work College
    • Community
    • Safety and Security
    • The Sterling Kitchen
    • The Farm
    • Student Activities
    • Athletics
    • Health & Wellness
    • Residence Halls
    • Back
  • Alumni & Supporters
    • Sterling Outcomes
    • Back
  • Parents & Families
  • Make A Gift
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  • More
    • Contact Sterling
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      • Back
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    • News & Events
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    • Intranet
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