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Employees at Target City Center in Minneapolis, MN, are spoiled when it comes to access to fresh produce. The Nicollet Mall farmers’ market sets up right outside the front door, and they can join the Hay River Farm CSA that’s exclusively for Target employees.

Bon Appétit believes that making a difference in the lives of others—one that pays dividends long past the holiday season — is the best gift we can give. This year’s beneficiary is the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA).

How Bon Appétit Management Company defines “food service for a sustainable future,” that tagline that follows our company name, also defines our very identity as a company. In honor of our quarter-century anniversary, we asked our employees and others to brainstorm with us. Here’s the result.

As Hurricane Sandy barreled toward the coast, businesses and entire cities shut down to brace themselves for what was to come. But college dining halls don’t have that luxury. College students are already “at home,” and – no matter the weather — need to be fed. And local farmers and fishermen need to be able to sell their harvest.

Organized by Midwest Fellow S.K. Piper and students at Carleton, St. Olaf, and Macalester Colleges, the seven-farm bike tour and closing party was completely free for participants, funded by in-kind donations and community grants that Piper helped the student organizers secure, with the food cost being covered by the Bon Appétit teams at the three schools.

Many Americans now know the names of the farms that grow their food, but even as we’re urged to eat more seafood for its health benefits, few of us can identify local species or the fishing operations that supply them. The time is ripe for local fish. Please join @bamco and @seafoodwatch for a Twitter chat on Monday, September 24, at 12pm Pacific.

What can you possibly say in 140 characters? A lot, actually! “Twitter chats” are free-form discussions in which people weigh in on a given topic, using an agreed-upon #hashtag. They can be a fun way to tap into the “hive mind.” This Thursday, at 12 p.m. Pacific time, we’ll be hosting a Twitter chat about what “food services for a sustainable future” should look like for Bon Appétit Management Company – follow along via #BAsustain!

Birthdays are a great time for reflection. When Bon Appétit Management Company was founded 25 years ago, in 1987, our priorities were cooking restaurant-quality food from scratch using the freshest ingredients, and delivering outstanding customer service. In 2004, we formally committed to sustainability, which we defined as “food choices that celebrate flavor, affirm regional cultural traditions, and support local communities without compromising air, water or soil, now and in the future.” We’ve been looking ahead to our next 25 years, and asking our teams around the country — and our guests — for their input on what should be next.

When you’re outside of a company looking in, it’s hard to tell if the sustainability claims it makes are genuine. A year ago, I accepted a position with Bon Appétit Management Company in operations because it was one of a small handful of companies that seemed to be making significant efforts within a constrained food system. I was interested in sustainable business throughout graduate school, and what I heard over and over (and over!) again was: get some experience in operations. If you understand how a factory works or a kitchen runs, you’ll be more valuable to any sustainability team.