the farm project
Sonoma, California
Starting the farm project was one of the most interesting collaborative
experiences we’ve had yet. In 2010, we found an amazing plot of land and a
family who believes in local produce and is committed to the effort. The
Benziger family owns Imagery Estate Winery, a 20-acre property in Glen Ellen
and a short drive from the restaurants. Wine grapes are planted on 7 acres and
vegetables, herbs, and fruit orchards fill about 12 acres. In addition to the
land at Imagery, we have a half-acre plot adjacent to the girl & the fig
restaurant and several raised beds next to ESTATE, about 2 acres total.
The goals of the farm project are to see how farming our own produce will
affect our business and in what ways—that’s why I call it a project. So far,
the year has shown that it adds a lot of
“feel-good” product diversity, major amounts of manpower, and a lot of aspirin
for the back pain!
There is an amazing feeling watching food grow, a process that we
often take for granted—from when a seedling is first placed in the earth right
through the magnificent cycle that brings it to its full flavor and beauty. Working under “the biodynamic and organic”
philosophies that the Benzigers are committed to adds another level of pride
and satisfaction. In this scenario, we really know where our food comes from,
how it has been farmed, what critters have visited, and when it was harvested. For John, the farm project is a natural extension of our philosophy at the
restaurants, serving wonderful food that reflects a sense of place.
We were also committed to the idea of reducing waste, both in the kitchen
and our own waste output. One of the hardest things to control in a restaurant
kitchen is food wastage. We strive to train our employees not to take shortcuts
in the prep kitchen. There are valuable scraps that can go into stock, soup, or
other dishes. What is sometimes seen as waste is actually perfectly good
product for another use.
We asked the sous chefs to help plant, weed, and harvest, giving them a true
appreciation for product and hopefully reducing waste. Involving the prep and
line cooks in the farm duties has given them a new perspective on how much effort it takes to farm and our
wastage conversations are no longer ignored. We’ve also reduced waste through
composting. The kitchen scraps go into the compost pile at the Imagery farm, which is then used to fertilize the
crops and as mulch. Not only is composting better for the environment but it’s
made a difference in our bottom line as well. When we started composting, we
took a trash day away from our delivery, and we’ve saved a lot of money by
reducing what we pay the trash company; John notes that we’ve cut our trash
bill by 33 percent. By next year we will have our own compost and we won’t have
to buy any.
On the Imagery farm the orchards are brimming with an amazing assortment of
produce, often several varieties of one crop. For example, there are five types
of peaches (Babcock, Elberta, O’Henry, Indian Free, and Frost), three types of
apricots (Blenheim, Tilton, and Tom Cot), and three types of Pluots (Flavor
Queen, Flavor King, and Dapple Dandy). We planted two types of cucumbers
(Armenian and Lemon), three types of squash (zucchini, Green Tint patty pan,
and a yellow variety), and five types of beans (Tricolor, Cold Rush, Bluelake, Haricots
Verts, and Romano). Sometimes this bounty keeps us menu-planning well into the
night. The variety of produce gives us so many wonderful options to work with,
inspiring menu changes and new dishes. Each type is suited to a specific dish; some
peaches are better for baking, while others are better for canning and
preserving, for example. Rows of herbs flourish alongside the vegetables, both
familiar (Italian parsley, chives, tarragon, rosemary, and thyme) and the more
unusual (lemon verbena, Opal basil, nettles, and marjoram). All of the produce
from the farm ends up on our menu while some of it is devoted to our Sonoma
Valley Sharecropping project.
Through farming, which is the epitome of the seasonal experience, we’ve
gained an even deeper appreciation of the word “seasonal”. “We’re experiencing
microseasonality,” as John puts it. He remembers the summer of 2010 in particular, which had very unusual weather for
Sonoma, staying cool for a month longer than usual, delaying the tomato crop.
“At one point, we had tomatoes everywhere, because when the tomatoes ripened they all came in at
once,” notes John. “So we had cases and cases of tomatoes. We made sun-dried
tomatoes but we had to think, what else can we do with a tomato?” With the abundance of green and red tomatoes we
were forced to get creative and John made cases of green tomato jam. “Normally
we would have just bought San Marzano tomatoes and never made green tomato
jam,” says John.“We’re forced to deal with the reality of the season, not the
idea of the season. It made us plan our menus from a less macro to a more microseasonal
perspective.”
Viewing farming from a macro perspective also means the seasons overlap a
bit. Who would think you could have Delicata squash and cucumbers appearing on
a menu at the same time, harvested from the same farm? You cook what the farm
provides and you make adjustments and get creative. “the farm project sharpened
our appreciation for seasonal,” says John. “You stop thinking fall versus
summer but start to think of what is ripe. It has made us better produce buyers
and better farmers.”
Eating seasonally is good for the planet and for your taste buds and it also
makes financial sense for a restaurant. “It’s common sense to be seasonal. If
we have to have tomatoes year-round and tomatoes taste better in summer, why not put them up when they are at their
peak to be enjoyed in winter?” John explains. “You want to pay the least amount
when they taste best. It’s common sense for the restaurant.”
Even with the amazing amount of food we’re growing (2,000 pounds in October
2010 alone), we’re not able to supply
the restaurants with all that we need. September 2010 was our biggest harvest to
date, yet only 8 percent of our total produce purchases were from the farm.
That’s because we’re not professional farmers yet— as we learn, we’ll increase
our yield and one day hopefully be able to grow all of our own food.
John oversees the farm project and has become a devoted farmer himself. When
he’s not overseeing the kitchen or working with the staff, he’s reviewing crop
plans, researching organic ways to eliminate pests (like the dreaded gopher),
or harvesting crops. “I’m just fascinated by the entire process,” attests John.
“I want to understand the kitchen side of it but as time has gone by I want to understand
the entire circle, from growing it to cooking it.”
One way we’ve tried to bring the farm to the table—literally—is through themed
farm dinners at ESTATE. Not only did the farm dinners help pay for the farm,
but our customers got a chance to experience local and seasonal to the utmost degree. “It’s a way to tell a
story about the farm through a dinner,” says John. The dinner begins with a
conversation among the landowner-rancher, Chris Benziger; the head farmer,
Colby; and the chef, John. Each describes his role in the farm and the
inspiration that the others attribute to their own success.
Last year we had two wildly successful farm dinners, the first being a Small Plate Tomato inner, in which every course featured tomatoes using different cooking methods, and an Heirloom Apple Dinner that we collaborated on with Kendra and Paul from Nana Mae’s Organics, which highlighted at least ten of the apples from their orchards.
Many of our guests share our passion for the farm and some have participated in
one way or another. We have had extra hands helping with harvest; I have been
the recipient of gifts from their own farms (including the most amazing blood
red peaches); and we have shared stories and conversation through our social
media activities.
As with most of our projects, we’re always looking for ways to improve and
explore new things. In 2010, most of our crops were transplants but we built a
greenhouse so we can start certain crops from seed from local seed companies. Next year the goal is to pull our
own seeds out. In farming
there’s always something else to do, to tweak, to improve on, and we’re
dedicated to making the farm project a long-term part of our restaurants.
excerpt from Plats du Jour;
the girl & the fig's Journey through the Seasons in Wine Country
photographs by Steven Krause
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