Occidental College
Campus Dining
Local Highlight- Cilantro
Did You Know: Many of herbs used by Campus Dining are also local and organic?

This week’s Local Highlight is organic Cilantro from the John Givens Farm. The cilantro plant is very ancient, and it is referenced in many ancient texts. Scholars believe that the Roman Empire is responsible for the spread of cilantro around the world, and it is now grown and used in almost every country in the world! The largest cilantro producers are located in India, China, and Mexico, but this cilantro is local and the farm is located just 100 miles from Oxy! Find this cilantro at the Monday Stir Fry Station and the Wednesday shrimp taco bar.
John Givens started Givens Farm in the Goleta Valley under the “Something Good” label in 1980 with only 1 acre of land. “The farm has expanded to its present size of 180 acres in 12 locations stretching over 30 miles, but the tradition of self –sufficiency continues. The Givens Ranch team works to make the farm more sustainable by using crop rotation, on-site composting, integrated pest management, as well as weeding and harvesting by hand.”- Givens Farm
Other Local/ Organic Menu Items:
Tuesday: Homestyle Lunch: Local Shitake Mushrooms
Pasta Station: Local/Organic Carrots
Wednesday: Homestyle Lunch: Organic Carrots
Pizza Station Lunch: L/O Cilantro on Shrimp Tacos
Pasta Station Dinner: All-Organic Potato Bar
Thursday: Homestyle Lunch: Organic sautéed Kale
Grill Station Dinner: All-Organic Bar
Friday: Homestyle Dinner: Local/Organic Carrots
- Office: Johnson Student Center, 2nd Floor
- phone: (323) 259-2629
- e-mail: dining@oxy.edu