Mother Nature has blessed us with a wonderful spectrum of seasonal delicacies between then and now ─ field-planted lettuce, spring asparagus, and Mr. Frye’s rhubarb. We welcomed English peas, Carmellini beans, and summer squash, followed by the kings of summer, tomatoes! (We were especially pleased to be the exclusive grower of heirloom tomatoes for our friends at Cooper’s Hawk Winery.) New potatoes emerged, and then sweet potatoes and root crops. And, as winter settles in, we’re celebrating the arrival of much anticipated cold weather treats, including ice spinach, Jerusalem artichokes, Crosnes and Oca.
Bumper Crop of Welcomed Guests
We were honored this year to welcome several of our partner chefs to tour the farm and experience firsthand where and how we grow their veggies and personally meet our incredible team members who make it all happen. Opening the Culinary Vegetable Institute kitchen to them for exploration and experimentation is always fascinating, and we never tire of witnessing the art our chefs create using the vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, leaves, and microgreens we grow as their palette.
A Roots Culinary Conference to Remember
In September, we celebrated another successful Roots culinary conference. We brought together nearly 300 chefs and other food industry professionals for two packed days of education, networking, problem-solving, camaraderie, incredible food, and enormous fun. Keynote speaker Andrew Zimmern encouraged and inspired us all about the vital role that every one of us plays in the future of food. As always, The Chef’s Garden team took attentive care of the chefs and others who attended, deftly handling the details and logistics for what many said was “the best Roots ever.”
Determination, Commitment, and Looking Forward
Of course, no year is without difficulty. Here on the farm, we endured the coldest spring in a hundred years and an uncharacteristically cold November. But that’s part of what “growing vegetables slowly and gently in full accord with nature” entails. Despite difficulties, our diligent and dedicated teams continued to rise every morning to tend the land and care for our chefs. Whether they were plowing rows, harvesting vegetables, washing lettuce, taking orders, researching new seeds, or packing vegetables into boxes, their excellence arrived at every one of our chefs’ kitchens in every single box that left the farm.
The further along we go, the more we realize that the richest part of what we do is build relationships with our chefs. As 2018 winds down, we want to thank every one of them and wish them and their families blessings for the New Year. May your 2019 be happy and healthy from root to tip!