Growing For Maximum Flavor and Nutrition

In an era where most food is grown under the yield model—meaning, where the goal is to maximize tons of food grown per acre—we do things differently at The Chef’s Garden. We regeneratively farm to maximize soil health and grow for the most flavor and nutrition per spoonful.

In other words, as we grow vegetables slowly and gently in full accord with nature, we’re also rebuilding the soil naturally to grow more nutritious, flavorful vegetables.

Does it work? Yes! Independent testing shows how our crops have up to 500% more mineral content than the USDA baseline—and we can confidently say that our flavor is off the charts.

“We’d long believed,” Farmer Lee Jones says, “that if we grew for maximum flavor, we’d bring the nutrient levels up right alongside the taste, and we’re happy to see that research confirms the nutritional value of what we’re growing.”

You can enjoy the flavor and benefit from the nutritional content of our farm-fresh vegetables by hand selecting what you want at the Farmer Jones Farm’s farmer’s market—or you can have freshly harvested produce shipped directly to your front door.

“We don’t want to criticize any other farmers,” Farmer Lee adds. “What we’re discussing is simply today’s standard agricultural model—growing for yield—and what it has done to our soil and how that’s impacted nutrition.”

Soil Depletion Effects

“fruits and vegetables grown decades ago were much richer in vitamins and minerals than the varieties most of us get today” (Scientific America)

This scientific agricultural review notes that the “main culprit in this disturbing nutrition trend is soil depletion . . . Sadly, each successive generation of fast-growing, pest-resistant carrot is truly less good for you than the one before.”

Information used in this article came, in part, from a landmark study published in December 2004 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. Its title—Changes in USDA food composition data for 43 garden crops, 1950 to 1999—provides an excellent description of the study’s scope.

Disheartening results state that the forty-three foods studied show “statistically reliable declines for 6 nutrients” with riboflavin, for example, down by 38% in that 49-year period. The explanation? “trade-offs between yield and nutrient content.”

The Healthy Soil Difference

At The Chef’s Garden, we treat our soil like a treasured crop, building it up with love. That’s at the heart of regenerative farming, the agricultural philosophy that we wholeheartedly follow—which means that we leave the soil in better shape than how we found it. This goes above and beyond sustainable farming, a philosophy that focuses on maintaining the status quo, to be part of the solution: today, tomorrow, and as an inspiration for young farmers of the future.

Bottom Line

“Healthy soil,” Farmer Lee shares, “leads to healthy crops that are flavorful and nutritious. That’s why we say, ‘Healthy Soil. Healthy Crops. Healthy People. Healthy Planet.’”

Order your fresh, delicious, and nutritious vegetables online today here.