They arrived on a Gray Line bus. One by one, chefs from some of Seattle’s most prominent restaurants stepped out into the sunshine and squinted as they looked around Ninety Farms in Arlington last month.
There they saw a traditional farmhouse, a horse barn, garden boxes containing leafy vegetables and rolling pastures where sheep graze. The group of about 25 chefs shuffled toward the horse barn where owner Linda Neunzig welcomed the tour, organized by the Cascade Harvest Coalition.
Chefs from restaurants such as Tulio Ristorante, La Medusa and Dandelion petted horses and scratched a sheepdog named Abby behind the ears. Significant members of Seattle’s culinary lifeblood stooped to pet a rabbit clutched in the arms of Neunzig’s 6-year-old son, Sam, as he zigzagged his way through the crowd.
The purpose of the tour was straightforward: to convince chefs to buy from Snohomish County farms. Neunzig, whose name means “ninety” in German, is among a handful of farmers already cultivating relationships with chefs. For three years she has been selling to restaurants and has collected a short list of buyers, including Earth and Ocean at the W Hotel in Seattle and the Yarrow Bay Grill in Kirkland.
“I can deliver them produce. I can deliver them meats,” she said. “I’m a one-stop shop.”
The relationship benefits everyone involved, Neunzig said. Chefs want fresh, quality produce and meats to serve in their restaurants. Puget Sound farmers are in a large part seeking to market directly to consumers as environmental rules and urban growth continue to make traditional farming difficult.
Neunzig, a veterinarian who started farming 15 years ago, said she tries to give chefs what they want, which in many cases is to stand out from their competitors.
Ninety Farms will grow unusual produce at a chef’s request. One example is its crop of watermelon radishes, a root of Chinese origin with green skin and red flesh.
“I try to bring things usually they aren’t going to find,” Neunzig said. “Things that you’ve never heard of but are so cool.”
Her efforts don’t go unappreciated. Kaspar Donier, head chef at Kaspar’s Special Events and Catering, said the locally grown food is unmatched when it comes to quality.
Every week Donier buys seasonal vegetables, veal and lamb from Ninety Farms. He also buys mushrooms, berries and cheeses from other area producers.
As much as demand allows, his menu is being decided by what is available from local growers.
“Some people are still upset if they can’t have chocolate and strawberries in December,” he said. “People are funny about that.”
In the summer and fall, Donier tries to buy from local farmers as much as possible. But in the cooler months, he has to turn to wholesalers who buy from California and other warm regions.
Fresh, organic produce is well worth a slightly higher price, said Donier.
“Money is not the most important thing,” he said. “You buy a good product that is a little bit more expensive. Linda’s animals are all grass fed.”
Marketing to restaurants is just one part of what Ninety Farms does. Neunzig also sells produce and meats directly to individual consumers and conducts farm tours for school groups.
Mary Embleton, executive director of the Cascade Harvest Coalition, said selling to restaurants is just one of the good direct-marketing relationships farmers can have with the community. The number of farmers selling directly to chefs is growing because of efforts from groups such as the Chef’s Collaborative, which promotes sustainable cuisine, said Embleton.
“There are a lot of us who are really pushing for this kind of relationship,” she said.
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