Bon Appétit Management Company

Last week was National Farmworker Awareness Week, as well as the celebration of the birthday and legacy of Cesar Chavez.  As we honor these significant events, it is important to realize the struggle for farmworker justice that Cesar Chavez symbolizes still continues today.  Many victories were made in his time, but much more remains to be done in order to provide farm laborers with the protections, compensation, and respect they deserve.  Perhaps the most shocking issue remaining is the presence of child labor in U.S. fields. Approximately 400,000 children are currently employed in agriculture throughout our country, receiving far fewer protections under federal law than any other working youth.  The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) was established to stop the use of child labor in the U.S.   The minimum age set forth in the FLSA is 16 for […]

by Dayna Burtness, Midwest Fellow   Ask any of my friends—I am a champion bargain-seeker.  I cut coupons, I scour the internet for specials, and I will spend hours at the thrift store pawing through piles of clothes just to find one nice pair of pants.  Needless to say, I can spot a good deal from a mile away.   I recently came across the best deal ever: $8 a year (a YEAR!) for a 40% increase in farmworker wages.    Let me explain. It’s National Farmworker Awareness Week, so to learn more I’ve been reading Gabriel Thompson’s new book, “Working in the Shadows: A year of doing the jobs (most) Americans won’t do.” To put a face on the statistics about farmworkers, Thompson spends two months cutting lettuce in Yuma, AZ.    He chronicles how hard farm work is on […]

  Like machines, nearly two million of workers in America’s fields labor without rights, earn subliving wages, and exist in dehumanizing circumstances. –“Like Machines in the Fields,” Oxfam America   The entire food supply chain should be safe, transparent, and fair to serve eaters, farmers, and farmworkers alike. Those who pick food in the United States deserve fair living and working conditions. As Bon Appétit’s fellows, we continue to travel the country to farms to learn about firsthand about farnlabor practices and to colleges to share what we know.  Please join us in recognizing National Farmworker Awareness Week: March 28 – April 3, 2010.   Here are ways you can learn more and get involved: LEARN: For an introduction to the facts, read these factsheets published by the Student Action with Farmworkers. READ: Check out our Triple Pundit series on the […]

Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of presenting The Story Behind the Food at my alma mater, St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN.  The highlight of the day at St. Olaf was the big, supportive turnout for the presentation GM Peter Abrahamson and I gave that evening—at least 30 students brimming with energy and good questions!  Students at St. Olaf—especially this crowd—are generally well-informed about issues surrounding food and agriculture, so across the board they gave me feedback about how cool it was to get the “behind the scenes” story of what BAMCO is doing to improve the food system.    Another highlight was dinner!  I can’t tell you how much I miss eating in Stav Hall three times a day, so I relished the opportunity to spend two glorious hours in the café eating a beautiful salad with all the […]

In light of the recent Salmonella outbreak of foods containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), Helene York discusses this little-known yet widespread food ingredient and emphasizes the importance of cooking from scratch. Read the full post at The Atlantic Food Channel.

 Tony Mantuano, executive chef at Terzo Piano restaurant at the Art Institute of Chicago, will be a contestant on the second season of Top Chef Masters. On the show, world-renowned chefs compete against each other in weekly challenges, testing their culinary skills and creativity. The season premieres on Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at 11pm/10pm Central on Bravo! Read about Tony's background and see who he's competing with on the show. Good luck, Tony!

In her monthly post on The Atlantic's Food Channel, BAMCO's Helene York discusses barriers institutions like colleges and universities face when purchasing local food. You may be surprised by her take on some of the more – and less – significant obstacles.

Bizymoms.com recently interviewed VP Maisie Greenawalt about Bon Appétit Management Company's commitment to sustainable food. The site receives over 8 million page views per month, providing Maisie (and BAMCO) with a great opportunity to discuss the importance of low carbon dining, eating local, sustainable seafood and organic agriculture. For the full interview, click here.

After months of planning, the two other Fellows and I kicked off our “Story Behind the Food” tour last week. Over the next few months, we hope to visit with hundreds of students who eat in Bon Appétit college cafés every day to spread the word about BAMCO sustainability initiatives like Farm to Fork, the Low Carbon Diet, and our work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in Florida.  My first two stops were LeTourneau University in Longview, TX and St. Edwards University in Austin, TX.   At LeTourneau, a small but enthusiastic group of students on the school Senate joined me, BAMCO General Manager Doris Wilson and Executive Chef Paul Riley for my presentation. They were very excited about the Student Garden Guide and also wanted to follow up about how they can educate their peers on labor and environmental […]

Check out Bon Appétit Management Company’s series on the business of sustainable agriculture on TriplePundit.com, an innovative new-media company for the sustainable business community.  In our 9th post, "Farming Internships: Vital or Illegal? The Answer is Both.", Midwest Fellow Dayna Burtness explores the legality and necessity of farming internships. Read the whole post here.