There is so much to share about fresh tomatoes that it was hard to narrow it down to just ten! But, here is our best attempt.

The team here at the Chef’s Garden is as diverse as our plants. Our Team Members come from many walks of life, different parts of this community, this country, and from other countries around the globe. Many return each year - through good times and bad. They all enrich our small family farm, and become part of our extended family.

The theme of Roots 2017 is “innovate,” and we’re happy to announce that Chef Jonathan Gushue is making a repeat appearance. He is the owner and executive chef of The Berlin, located in Ontario, Canada, and will be sharing his deep industry knowledge on the topic of Oh, Canada! Northern Culinary History and Innovation.

Nearly 200 years ago, in 1825, two varieties of eggplant – white and purple – were being listed in multiple seed catalogs in the eastern United States. But, guess what? Thomas Jefferson was growing both varieties in 1812! Interestingly enough, seed catalogs originally suggested that white eggplant be grown for ornamental purposes only.

We’ve been providing the best chefs in the country with microgreens for over 25 years. We believe that we were one of the first farms to grow them though our partnership with Chef Charlie Trotter. Our selection of microgreens includes sea spears, celery, sunflower, and even herbs such as basil and cilantro. These plants are not only delicious, but the world is discovering that they also have great nutritional content.

Try to picture farmers from, say, 100 years ago visiting modern-day farms. They’d almost certainly be surprised at the number of urban farms – and at the notion of hydroponic farming where crops are grown without soil. They would already know about greenhouses but would likely be startled by how often they are used today.