Sustainability Deeply Rooted in the Heartland

In my July 17th post Georgia Goes Green I noted that sustainability isn’t just a "west coast thing" and pointed to the great student-run farm at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Seems I’m not the only one who has noticed that St. Olaf College is a pretty special place. Brian Voerding recently posted When St. Olaf students say ‘Bon appetit!’ they really mean it to MinnPost.com. St. Olaf College has become a regular in the Princeton Review’s top ten for Best Food and Brian attributes the ranking in part to Bon Appetit Management Company’s relationships with local growers on and off-campus.

Bon Appetit at St. Olaf’s efforts also led off the Minneapolis Star Tribune article Good food? It’s academic:

Every week about 700 pounds of Minnesota’s finest beef is delivered to the cafeteria at St. Olaf College in Northfield. This local meat is 100 percent grass-fed, sustainably produced and nutrient-rich. Likewise, high-quality local pork, dairy products and produce are delivered.

Many of the same ingredients will be delivered down the road at Carleton College, which just started using the same food service provider that St. Olaf has used for years, Bon Appétit Management Co. The reason for change at Carleton? The company’s holistic approach to sustainability most closely matched the values at Carleton, said senior Vera Chang, one of the students on the selection committee.

The story goes on to mention our fantastic program at Macalester College as well.

Many of the students who attend these schools have seen firsthand the affect of industrialized farming. Growing up in the heartland, they have seen neighbors lose their farms and they have watched air and water quality deteriorate in their communities. To this group, an agrarian lifestyle is something to be cherished. I’m proud that our Minneapolis team is playing such an active role in protecting our nation’s valuable resources – air, land, water, and youth activists.

– Maisie Greenawalt, Vice President