A Growing Success: Lee Jones and the Chef's Garden
by Kate Helbig
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some people go to work in formal business attire – coordinated suits, ties and fancy shoes. They often work in offices with a controlled climate and clean surfaces. But when a business requires people to work in places where temperature cannot be dictated by a dial on the wall, where working with soil is a daily occurrence – like a field or a greenhouse – adjustments in the “office attire” wardrobe are inevitable. Lee Jones, part owner and spokesperson for the Chef's Garden in Huron, Ohio, proudly dons bib overalls at his workplace. In fact, he rarely deviates from this ensemble and has nearly trademarked it as his own. “I've attended black tie affairs wearing a white shirt, bib overalls and a red bow-tie,” he beams.
The Chef's Garden is a farm of artisans growing a wide variety of the most flavorful produce. Lee, along with his brother Bobby, father Bob and mother Barb, work with a team of 86 dedicated people who grow top-of-the-line products. Their clientele is exclusively for chefs at culinary schools and restaurants throughout the United States and across the globe. “Chefs are our heroes,” Lee said. “We are a vessel for the chefs' vision, and we're here to provide them with good ingredients.”
The recent increase in America's interest in the culinary arts – cooking at home, as well as frequenting high-end restaurants – has propelled the growers' business into the spotlight. Television shows and magazine covers have featured Chef's Garden products, keeping Lee on the road. He attends various social gatherings and conventions, meeting with a variety of celebrated chefs and Hollywood celebrities. “Back here on the farm, the higher profile clients help us feel like we're connected with the world,” Lee said. “Our team knows we're all part of something special.” Though the Chef's Garden's ingredients can be found on some of the most prestigious of plates, the Jones family still runs the business like it is a family farm, without pretense or arrogance.
Before the Chef's Garden, the Jones family ran a successful farm for many years. However, a hailstorm in 1983 devastated their crops, resulting in difficult times for the family. The shift of American agriculture toward large-scale industry farms placed additional pressure on family farms as well. For example, in the 1930s, Huron County was home to more than 330 growers because of its fertile soil and optimal growing climate. Today, the number of farms in Huron County has dwindled down to just six.
The Jones family found a way to not only survive but thrive in Huron County by developing a niche market. “Our world got disrupted and we wanted to find a way to follow our passion,” Lee said. “It was never a question of 'Are we going to farm?' it was 'How are we going to do it?'” The local chefs' interests in specialty products presented the Joneses with the perfect opportunity. “We were given a window of hope,” Lee continued, “The chefs said, 'If you grow quality ingredients, we'll support you.'”
Taking this proposal to heart, the Jones family started the Chef's Garden. “The synergy between a chef and farmer acting together is more powerful than when they work as individuals,” Lee explained. Building on the principle of unaltered natural products, the farm produces the most nutritionally viable and sustainable source of foods. “We want to set a standard. We provide food that will taste good and be good for people. Food safety, quality, integrity and diversity make the difference,” Lee explained. The Chef's Garden is not following the trend to genetically develop crops, which are altered to produce a higher yield. Instead, the farm's growing practice and philosophy embrace the old ways of farming; they respect the natural progression of growing plants.
This tactic has yielded great success and attention from chefs near and far. About 450 chefs visited the farm last year alone. While the Chef's Garden is the parent company, some of the family's other inspirations have become realities as well. For example, the Culinary Vegetable Institute is a facility where chefs can experience the farm's wealth of knowledge and foster the creative, synergistic bond between those who grow and those who cook. Veggie University, a program focused on promoting the value of nutrition and eating vegetables, is also beginning to take flight in fourth-grade classrooms.
The Chef's Garden exemplifies a prospering business, one that has adjusted to the changing marketplace, and one that is literally growing every day. With scheduling demands and the pressure to maintain a top-quality business and product, Lee Jones has a lot more on his plate than just good, healthy food. “I can't consider this a job; that would be an insult to the privilege of doing what I do,” Lee said, clad in his signature overalls and red bow-tie. “This is my life, my soul, my being. I'm living what I love. It's my dream to work with chefs.”
For more information about the Chef's Garden, visit www.ChefsGarden.com or call (800) 289-4644.
