The Fresh Thymes Farm & Row 7 Seeds
Not sure if you’ve heard, but Fresh Thymes has started our own farming project! One of our favorite things about what we do, is that there doesn’t seem to be a ceiling on the various ways that we can inject more flavor, more nutrition and more passion into the food that we make for you - our beloved customers.
Last year, as Christine was chasing her dog around Buckner Farm (trying to ensure that Hazel didn’t eat any of Clint Buckners’ chickens), she mentioned that she was interested in growing her own food. Clint pointed to a plot of land that would be perfect for such a venture. A seed was planted.
Christine talked to a few of our managers, Angie & Tasha, whose husbands are passionate about growing their own food at home. “What do you think about Chris & Guy growing produce for the restaurant?”
Chris & Guy were really excited about this opportunity. So we started researching, buying equipment, and treating the soil to prepare for planting in the Spring.
As we were deciding how to make sure that the produce that we are growing aligned with our Fresh Thymes values, we knew that there was only one place that we could get our seeds from: Row 7 Seeds. A project started by one of our favorite chefs, Dan Barber.
What we love about Row 7 is that they asked a question that seems like a no-brainer but is actually really unique: what if, we bred seeds based on flavor rather than yield, shelf life or uniformity? What if the plants that we bred didn’t have to sacrifice taste, nutrition and sustainability? We believe what Dan Barber believes… that if you treat animals and the environment with care, you will yield the most nutritious AND delicious crops and proteins.
Row 7 is a collaboration amongst chefs, breeders and farmers. And THAT is something that we love to be a part of.
So far we have grown badger flame beets from the collection of Row 7 seeds that we have purchased - you may have seen these in our counter salad. In the ground right now, we also have tetra winter squash, beauregard purple snow peas, and habanada peppers.
Stop by the Eatery to try some of our home grown produce - we are also growing organic kale, arugula, beets, & summer squash… we love to keep upping the ante on our nutrient-dense food for our customers!