Hello from Heritage Prairie Farm

Big Bowl chefs in Chicago recently received this email from Nate Sumner at Heritage Prairie Farm.  We were so impressed with Nate’s passion for his work and the partnership with the Big Bowl team.  With his permission, we are reprinting his letter.Thank you Nate and the entire team at Heritage Prairie Farm!

Chefs-

I wanted to drop you a line to introduce myself to all of you. My name is Nate Sumner and I am the Farm Manager at Heritage Prairie Farm.

Our entire staff is very excited about our partnership this upcoming season—and for seasons to come. I’ve been very impressed by Big Bowl’s commitment to sustainability and high-quality food.  It’s clear that Big Bowl is leading the way by modeling how high quality food and environmentally sound business practices can become business as usual. We are proud to be a part of it.

To have such a close collaboration between restaurant and farm is nearly unheard of. Together, we are changing the way both our industries and our consumers view food and dining in America. This is why we are so excited about our collaboration. Making this model successful is not merely a business necessity but, in my view, a moral responsibility to show our industry colleagues what is possible.

We are truly raising the bar, not just for restaurants and farmers but also for the American plate in general.  We are re-defining what “quality food” means in America.  As we all know, the highest quality plate starts in the dirt.  Beginning in the next few weeks, and throughout the year, you and your staff will get to know the very soil in which your vegetables are grown, as well as the people who oversee the care of your produce until it enters your kitchens.

Throughout the season I will be your main contact for ordering and communications with the farm. You have all been added to our availability list, which you will receive every Monday.  To place and order, you can respond to the weekly list with an order. You can also reach me via my cell phone to place an order, to ask any questions or just to find out what’s going on at the farm. In addition to the weekly availability list, Chef Marc and I have developed a growing plan specifically for your restaurants. This plan should take effect in the beginning of June and continue well into the fall. Since growing vegetables is a partnership with Mother Nature, we should all expect some fluctuations in the growing plan. For instance, there could be a sudden pest problem or un-expected weather conditions that would affect the availability of the produce we are growing for you. That is why, in addition to the weekly availability list, you will also receive a list describing exactly what we will send to your kitchens each week.

Our entire staff is looking forward to getting to know you all better as the season moves on. As I said before, feel free to call or email me whenever you like, if you have any questions.

Sincerely

Nate Sumner

Farm Manager, Heritage Prairie Farm