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Scenes from the fledgling BAMCO balcony garden, clockwise from top left: mixed lettuces and basil; our adopted kalamansi lime tree; strawberries, rainbow chard and heirloom collard greens We’re proud that so many of our accounts have bountiful onsite gardens that supply fresh produce to our cafés. In fact, the New York Times recently recognized our company’s sponsorship of gardens on corporate campuses. Guests at many of our corporate cafés can enjoy fresh Brussels sprouts and blueberries in the café, but this hasn’t been the case at BAMCO headquarters in Palo Alto, CA. Until now. Well soon, anyway.

In our food culture, why is 'vegetarian' often defined as the absence of meat? And why are vegetables often relegated only to meat-free dishes? At the Atlantic Food Channel, BAMCO's Helene York questions our culture's resistance to celebrating vegetables as valid ingredients in their own right, and dreams of a world in which vegetables are the deliciously described option on the menu for both children and adults. Reintroducing our menus and palates to the wide variety of vegetables could go a long way, she argues, towards better public health, a more sustainable food system and increased culinary pleasure. Read the full post here.

Student run gardens and farms, such as Washington University in St. Louis’ Burning Kumquat, have gained a tremendous amount of popularity in recent years. Last summer, to a lucky group of St. Louis kids, the Burning Kumquat was known as Camp Kumquat, a three week, free of charge camp that provided a “crash course in farming and environmental education”.  The two noble and motivated Wash U students who created Camp Kumquat demonstrated that student run gardens can be used to not only benefit those on campus but to educate the surrounding community about sustainability and healthy eating, while enabling everyone involved to have a great time.  Campers learned to garden, cook their own meals, and reconnect with the way in which their food was grown.  Bon Appétit at Wash U was so impressed by Camp Kumquat’s mission that they asked […]

For our company, serving sustainable seafood – specifically, seafood purchased in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch Guidelines – is a kitchen principle. Many consumers now carry Seafood Watch Pocket Guides to help them make sustainable seafood choices both at the market and at restaurants. The recent oil spill is a poignant reminder for us all to reflect on, and possibly improve upon, our commitment to sustainable seafood. On CNN.com, BAMCO CEO Fedele Bauccio discusses the harmful activities facing global fisheries. While overfishing and the problems facing our oceans can at first be complex, Fedele offers simple steps for consumers who love to eat fish, and speaks optimistically about potential solutions: There are indeed solutions, which include changing how and what we eat from the ocean. Important institutions and thought leaders are working to raise awareness about sustainable […]

At many BAMCO college and university accounts, it's common for enthusiastic students and BAMCO employees to maintain gardens that supply fresh produce for the campus community and cafés. A growing number of corporations have also started gardens, where employees can get their hands off of the keyboard and into the dirt at lunch, and enjoy fresh produce in corporate cafés and break rooms. BAMCO is at the forefront of this trend with at least 12 of our corporate accounts actively gardening. In this New York Times article, journalist Kim Severson covers the rise of company gardens, including an interview with Resident District Manager Kent Buell about some of the challenges in starting and running a successful corporate garden.

Here's a fun little clip :0) While going through footage of an interview I did with one of our chefs about local food, I noticed something that I hadn't noticed before…pay attention to the background…I couldn't stop laughing! ~Posted by Carolina Fojo, East Coast Fellow for Bon Appétit Mgmt. Co.   

As a Fellow for Bon Appétit Management Company, I spent this last semester traveling to different East Coast colleges where we serve food. I met a lot of people on my travels–here’s a video of Darlene, a baker in our pastry kitchen at Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH. She taught me how to make the most delicious coconut macaroon cookies—Enjoy! ~Posted by Carolina Fojo, East Coast Fellow for Bon Appétit Mgmt. Co.

What if each of us went to the store, bought two bags of groceries, and immediately discarded one? In a sense, that's what happens every day. There are no reliable estimates of how much food is wasted in the U.S. from field to plate, but the most educated guesses range between 40 and 50 percent. Startling statistics from Helene York's Atlantic Food channel post, but she also offers promising solutions to excessive food waste, and discusses BAMCO's waste reduction strategies and commitments as part of our Low Carbon Diet.

On the eve of Low Carbon Diet Day, BAMCO CEO Fedele Bauccio reflects on our company's commitment to reducing our carbon emissions and highlights the main principles of this year's Low Carbon Diet Day in a Huffington Post Op-Ed. His call for individuals and businesses to base decisions on the greater good is inspiring. When it comes to the carbon impact of our food choices, "…we can help slow climate change with each bite we take, without sacrificing taste."

Meat in the hot seat: On the Atlantic Food channel, BAMCO's Helene York delves into the nuances of the debate over beef's (including grass-fed) environmental impact. The excerpt below elegantly sums up what we can do to reduce our carbon foodprint: "If we view "beef and (gasp) cheese as special toppings rather than center-of-the-plate foods, eaters and chefs may actually enjoy them more, and we may even be able to support better quality meats at the same time." What do you think? Read the full post on the Atlantic Food channel here.