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Wondering what happens when a Chef visits the farm?
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June 15, 2016

Wondering what happens when a Chef visits the farm?

We personalize a behind-the-scenes tour of our sustainable farm for our Chefs. No two are the same. Having said that, we'd like to share with you some common elements of a typical farm tour.

You may already know that The Chef’s Garden offers our Chefs personalized, behind-the-scenes tours of our sustainable farm – but may not know precisely what goes on. And, that’s okay! Our tours truly are personalized, which means no two are exactly alike. We want to show you what is most relevant for your restaurant, your cuisine, your personal cooking style and flair.

Having said that, we can share common elements of a more typical farm tour.

Step 1: Share Your Needs with Us

What do you hope to achieve by this tour? What days and times work best for you? Are you planning an overnight stay? Let us know this ahead of time so we can create an experience that will be the most helpful and meaningful for you.

Step 2: Check In!

We’ll be there, ready to give you an old-fashioned farm welcome. We’ll ask you to sign in, and hope you’ll be gracious enough to be photographed by our sign. After all, you and your restaurant and chef team are the stars of the show!

Dr. Tim Ryan, President of the Culinary Institute of America and his wife Lynne Ryan, Chefs to Dine For

Step 3: Context is Key

We have a video we like to show our visitors, to give you a sense of where we’ve been and how we’ve become involved in serving chefs. You’ll get to meet members of our farming family and ask whatever opening questions you have. We say “opening” because we welcome questions throughout the entire farm tour.

Step 4: Starts with Seeds

We like to share some of our researching methods, including how we study and experiment with seeds to make sure we’ll plant exactly what you need, when you need it, in the most sustainable and nutritious way possible. What we’ve found: these time-tested farming methods actually create the most flavorful vegetables, microgreens, edible flowers and more. Win/win!

Step 5: Greenhouse Tasting

Now it’s time to treat your tongue to bursts of flavor as we share delicious samples of what we grow. You’ve all heard the phrase, “the proof is in the pudding,” right? Well, the original version of that proverb was “the proof of the pudding is in the eating” – and the same is true of our crops! We’ll provide a bit of background before you taste, and then we’ll give you even more samples to take back to your restaurant.

Chef Kwame Onwuachi The Shaw Bijou

Chef Kwame Onwuachi, The Shaw Bijou

Step 6: Crops in Process

Depending on when you visit, what we’ll show you will differ, but we like to give chefs a good glimpse at what’s currently growing and give them a chance to ask questions of the people who care for these crops, day in and day out.

Team Harvesting Cauliflower

Our amazing team harvesting cauliflower.

Step 7: Packing Process

Although every chef has his or her favorite parts of the farm tour, nearly everyone mentions how much they appreciate the care we take when packing only the best produce to send to their restaurants for their customers. We test carefully for any potential problems before shipping.

Step 8: Culinary Vegetable Institute (CVI)

We could easily write an entire blog post about the CVI and what you’ll see there. Actually, we could write an entire BOOK on the subject. For now, let’s just say that the CVI caters to the educational and creative needs of all innovative and rising chefs across America. We think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Chef Nico Romo Fish Restaurant

Chef Nico Romo, Fish Restaurant

Ready to schedule YOUR personalized farm tour? Contact your product specialist today!

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