Supporting the next generation of farmers and sustainability advocates
In conjunction with our fifth annual Eat Local Challenge in September 2009, Bon Appétit Management Company released the innovative Student Garden Guide. At many of our college campuses, Bon Appétit’s company-wide Farm to Fork initiative has always made teaming up with student gardens a wonderful reality. The Student Garden Guide goes one step further by offering suggestions to help students manage their gardens.
The Student Garden Guide focuses primarily on ways in which students can develop a successful relationship between the food service provider at their school and their student farm or garden. From planning and harvesting the year’s crops to properly invoicing buyers and promoting their foods in the café, this resource covers a wide range of useful topics. Numerous student gardeners and Bon Appétit chefs and managers were interviewed to compile this comprehensive guide. Through ample case studies, farm-focused business strategies, and a breakdown of best practices, the guide helps both novice and seasoned student gardeners sell produce to their university’s food service operator.
According to recent statistics, only 8% of today’s farmers are under the age of 35 and only 1% of the U.S. population is involved in agriculture. We at Bon Appétit recognize the severity of this agrarian problem and hope that the Student Garden Guide encourages and supports the next generation of farmers on college campuses nationwide.
Click here to download the Student Garden Guide [pdf].