Bon Appétit Management Company

Tucked away on the edge of campus, over a bridge and beside the athletic fields, lies The Farm at Butler, a gem within Butler University in Indianapolis, IN.  Just shy of one acre, this agricultural oasis is a clear example of how urban farming can transform previously dormant land into a thriving ecosystem and classroom.  

In this follow-up to last week’s post, we share the stories of three food hubs that demonstrate just how critical this model can be for matching supply with demand.  

On the rise across the country since the mid-2000’s, food hubs are one solution to common barriers to getting local food into restaurants and difficult-to-access institutional markets. With a keen focus on selling to anchor institutions (long-term fixtures in communities, such as universities, hospitals, and school systems, that play vital roles in the local economy), food hubs coordinate the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of locally and regionally produced foods from a network of responsible producers.

For Native American Heritage Month, Bon Appétit is partnering with Golden Eagle Farm, owned and operated by the Mesa Grande Band of Mission Indians. Golden Eagle is an ambitious endeavor balancing traditional Indigenous farming methods and new revenue generators such as agri-tourism.

From beets and carrots to radishes and ginger, root vegetables are the foundation of countless delicious dishes, bringing depth and earthy flavor to your plate. Celebrate the breadth of root vegetables and explore dishes that highlight these ingredients.

When Bon Appétit Fellow Elise Dudley and over a dozen Vassar College students caravanned out to Amenia, NY earlier this year, they expected to learn firsthand about the dairy industry and meet a storied local Farm to Fork partner. They got even more, including a lesson in emerging cooperative models that protect small dairy farms.  

In New York’s Hudson Valley, Farm to Fork vendor Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy offers an alternative dairying model that insulates small dairy farmers negative trends impacting the dairy industry.

In honor of the 25th anniversary of Farm to Fork, our groundbreaking local sourcing program, we’ve synthesized our many lessons learned into a white paper, Sowing Success: Local Food Purchasing Insights from 25 Years of the Farm to Fork Program.

Under the leadership of Culinary Director Kristela Nazario-Mendoza, the Bon Appétit Management Company at Chase Center team is putting Bon Appétit’s Farm to Fork program into action at one of the world’s premier sporting arenas.

The Common Market, a non-profit food distributor with a mission to empower communities through local food, has partnered with Bon Appétit teams across the country.