In Chimayo, New Mexico the chile represents deep, fundamental family values.
Here, Chimayo chiles are grown like they have been for approximately four
hundred years. They’re planted (usually with seeds passed down through the
family), weeded and harvested by hand — on small plots, where more than likely
the ditch irrigation system was dug by the farmers’ grandparents or great-grand-
parents. This means there are profound connections to the past and to the earth.
When chiles and seeds are sold in Chimayo it’s not simply an exchange of
money; it’s “a communal act” as author Deborah Madison wrote in Saveur
magazine. There are rituals and niceties surrounding the culture of the chile.
Working with local farmers, The Native Hispanic Institute is helping to preserve
local family traditions by replenishing native seed stock. In recent years, the
number of farmers growing the Chimayo had dwindled. Institute founder,
Marie Campos, took up the challenge and with a generous donation of seed
from Victoria and Jose Martinez, she has worked to enlist more farmers to grow
the legendary chile.
Local food culture is alive and well in Chimayo, New Mexico thanks to the hard
work of a dedicated group of farmers growing the Capsicum annuum “Chimayo”
chile. Quoting from Ms. Madison’s article once again, “They’re not just a spice;
they’re part of an old culture, an ancient way of life.
We wish to express our most sincere thanks to Victoria and Jose from Chimayo
for sharing their family’s story with us and to Juan Lucero and Los Primos from
Santa Fe for their fabulosa música.
Ghost Ranch. Georgia O’Keeffe. Arroyos. Northern New Mexico. Near Abiquiu,
about an hour north of Santa Fe, Richard Belanger and his ever-changing band
of assistants, associates and helpers grow some of the tastiest produce this
side of the Rio Chama. Or is it the other side?
Whatever side of the river you’re on, Harmony Farm is yet another story of how
people with drive, a little piece of land and a whole lot of hard work make good
food from soil, air, water and seeds.
The farm might feel isolated, but Harmony Farm is very much a member of the
local food community. Their familiar blue bus makes its presence known every
Saturday morning at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market. Richard told us that nearly
eighty per cent of their sales happen at the market in five hours. We saw first
hand how they conducted business on a couple of hectic Saturdays. People
can’t wait for the blue bus to arrive. And why not? The good food Harmony is
selling on Saturday’s market day, was picked the day before (and sometimes
even the morning of).
It’s fitting then, that you’ll see this quote from the first President of the Czech
Republic, Vaclav Havel, on their website:
“I am in favor of things that have authenticity, roots, originality, verve, balance,
taste, communications, challenge, relevance to their time — in short, things
that make sense.”
CSA. It doesn’t stand for Creative Solutions Ahead, but it could. This acronym
stands for Community Supported Agriculture and it’s how two young, enterprising
farmers from the Hudson Valley are marketing their produce. We don’t mean to
imply that there is only one kind of CSA. Many different farm products are sold
this way, but our story focuses on produce.
Miriam Latzer and Benjamin Shute are the aforementioned farmers based in Tivoli,
in upstate New York. Their operation goes by the name of Hearty Roots Community
Farm and they are building a legion of fans with their fresh vegetables from June
until November. (They must be doing something right if sold-out shares, year after
year, are any indication).
These two are all about sustainability. They farm with minimally invasive methods
and although they fire up the Massey-Ferguson when it’s time to plow, they have
a smaller, oddly quiet, battery-powered tractor for other tasks. They care very much
about how they grow their produce and their loyal customers know it.
(By the way, you can get eggs from their farm-mates, Awesome Farm, but that’s
another story.)
Having a big article written about them (and Awesome Farm) in the New York
Times hasn’t fazed them — there’s too much to do. It’s almost time to haul out the
seed catalogs and start all over again.
From the Times article: “I never thought I wanted to farm,” Mr. Shute said. “But it
feels like an honest living.”
Hats off to Miriam and Benjamin for a job (and season) well done.
At sixteen years of age, Jere Gettle joined Seed Savers Exchange and never
looked back. With his interest in gardening (and collecting) as the catalyst, he
started Baker Creek Seed Company And he still looking for ways to get the
word out about the value of heirloom seeds.
Now his operation distributes nearly 100,000 catalogs yearly, hosts a gardening
forum-I Dig My Garden, and has put together what is generally acknowledged as
one of the best seed collections around.
Jere gives a good explanation here of why heirlooms matter. The diversity of
plants is a strength that Baker Creek promotes mightily. As host to several events
at his southwestern Missouri location every year, Jere is a outspoken advocate
for real food through old-school seeds. He loves this stuff.
Shot at Baker Creek Seed Company near Mansfield, Missouri.
Because of her contacts from her stint in the wine business, Paulette Satur and
her husband, Chef Eberhard Müller have a unique niche. When they decided
to buy a farm and start growing specialty salads, leafy vegetables, heirloom
tomatoes, root vegetables, and herbs, the chefs she knew from her wine sales
were curious. Even better, they became customers.
Today, they sell the majority of their products directly to top tier New York City
restaurants. Their beautiful farm on the North Fork of Long Island is perfectly
situated for growing and for transporting freshly harvested products quickly to
the awaiting city kitchens.
Trading the noise and heat of Chef’s kitchen for the tranquility of Long Island,
Satur Farms is quietly, and with precision, growing with the seasons.
Watch the video shot at Satur Farms, Cutchogue, New York
Chris Regan was schooled as a painter, but the palette he uses nowadays is
various shades of greens. He’s the brains behind Sky Farm near Millerton in
upstate New York. With his small crew he grows 11 acres of gourmet salad mix
including over 30 varieties of greens, herbs, edible flowers, and “wild” plants.
In peak season he produces over eight hundred pounds a week which he
markets directly to over 50 restaurants in the surrounding area. These days
he can be found on Wednesdays offering tasty samples of his salad mixes at
the Woodstock Farm Festival.
Chris has become something of an authority on salad mix composition and its
seasonality. He maintains quality throughout the growing season with his use
of organic methods, cover crops for fertility and weed management and smart
rotations. Doing all that means the produce that comes out of his fields is the
very best it can be.
The Clarke family has been farming in the area around Milton, New York since 1817. Pam Clarke Torres is a part of the sixth generation to grow quality apples, pears and other assorted fruits. (Her toddler son, Nathaniel represents the seventh.) It’s hard but satisfying work for her and her family as they maintain their farm and produce some of the best fruit around. New Yorkers are able to buy the luscious fruits of their labor at a couple of farmers markets in the city. Prospect Hill Orchards is a very consumer friendly farm. They invite people to “pick their own” when the fruit is ready and it’s not unusual to see six or seven school buses emptying grade schoolers ready to learn all about fruit farming. Not only is this a self-sustaining farm, they also have a bakery in Milton where they sell finished baked goods using the fresh fruit from down the road.
Click to view the video that was shot in and around the orchards and in NYC.
Stokes Farm has been around for five generations. Ron Binaghi has been an original member of the New York City Greenmarket system since its inception
in 1976. Ron and his crew sell at three city markets: Union Square, Tribeca and Lincoln Center. If you’ve ever eaten at a top-rated New York City restaurant chances are you’ve eaten produce from Stokes Farm.
Shot on the farm in Old Tappan, New Jersey and at Union Square Market NYC.
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