BY J.D. WILSON
OCEANFRONT — For many years, I ran New Earth Farm in Pungo, which I eventually sold to Kevin Jamison, who worked with me on the farm after he first moved here from New York. Now, Jamison is a successful restaurateur who understands farming and the importance of a local food system.
That means he has a real commitment to sourcing his ingredients locally.
Jamison now rents some of New Earth to another farmer, but a small part of the farm is still used to grow ingredients used in dishes at Commune, his Oceanfront restaurant, and he continues to source most of his produce – from herbs to veggies to meats – from farmers right here in Virginia Beach.
I spoke recently with him because I want to tell you a story about how a local restaurant supports local agriculture.
“After working with you on your farm and being in Virginia Beach after being in New York City for a long time, we realized there were no restaurants around here that were really utilizing a large majority of their ingredients from anywhere local, let alone Virginia Beach farms,” he told me.
“Now for six years, every fruit, every vegetable and every protein that’s been served at Commune has been from Virginia Beach or either Virginia or North Carolina,” he said, adding that this philosophy also spills over to Commune’s Norfolk locations and at Prosperity Kitchen at the Oceanfront, in which he is a partner.
I should note that I’ve sold some produce and herbs to Commune, and Jamison and I are friends. His story is worth telling, though, because most of his main suppliers are extremely – and unusually – local. Commune is farm-to-table in a real sense.
Jamison estimates they use 90 percent to 100 percent farm-sourced ingredients at any given time.
It can be a hard mission to maintain. People had doubts about the feasibility of this approach, saying there wasn’t enough local produce, and there are still some customers who are annoyed that they can’t get a dish with, say, orange or have orange juice.
It’s not local.
“But the majority of the people really understand,” he said. “And, if they’re told by their server this is why we do this, they seem to understand and think that it’s cool.”
There’s a place for that.
But in writing about Commune, I want to make the point that there should be more of a place for local ingredients, which are increasingly abundant and healthy. Their use is beneficial to our local family farms, which is good for all of us because it decreases the carbon footprint and nutrient loss while supporting a local economy. As I’ve written before, more local food is good for our security as a community and a nation because a local system is harder to disrupt.
Part of the mission at Commune, he said, is to get the word out to consumers about why this approach is important. It’s a mission I often write about here: sustainability and maintaining a healthy local food system.
“Between the four big farms down in Pungo, we can get everything we need,” Jamison said. “Now we have hog producers and beef producers around here. It’s gotten to the point where it’s a lot easier than it was six years ago.”
For example, Commune’s pork comes from Cartwright Family Farms in Pungo, run by Derek Eason, and Jamison said the ongoing relationship has benefitted both businesses.
Jamison also buys meat from Coastal Cattle, a Hereford beef farm in the Back Bay area.
Jamison said they’ve helped bring other restaurants on board to the value of local producers, and that means there has been growth in the local food system.
I sure do love a good meal, and Jamison and I talked about the perception that local produce means less tasty meals. The idea used to be that local, healthy food doesn’t taste good.
That idea is nonsense.
“You can’t just have tomatoes in February,” he said. “It forces creativity to happen in the kitchen.”
They have to make decisions about how to best use the produce that is available and meets the demands of people who like good food.
“So it’s wholesome, it’s healthy and they like it.”
Food comes from Cartwright Family Farms, Coastal Cattle, Cromwell’s Produce, Cullipher Farms, Flanagan Farm – and Vicky Shufer of Wild Woods Farms, which specializes in native plants and herbs, and who has been able to provide flavors such as ginger and turmeric. A majority of the produce, especially this time of year, comes from Cromwell’s, he said, and Shufer provides yaupon, a type of holly that is naturally caffeinated and is a tea served at Commune.
Other benefits when a restaurant buys local are decreasing their carbon footprint and exposing both locals and tourists to these ideas about sustainability and local food, Jamison added.
“I think a lot of people have heard about it, like, ‘Oh, yeah. Local food. Support your local farmers.’ But do they really know why it’s important? And do they really know the impact of the other side the system?”
More demand for local produce means more of it will appear on menus because sustainability is also financial. When a restaurant sees demand for local produce, they’ll seek out local farms. In turn, local farms take more chances on crops and different growing methods because they’ll see a return on their efforts.
For example, while citrus is a barrier locally, Jamison recently was able to source lemons through a local grower.
The more you support local farms, he said, the more they can try new things. They know there is a market.
Celebrate local produce with a good meal. You don’t have to do the dishes. And, as a consumer, you have the power to taste for yourself and spread the word.
The author is a farmer and consultant who writes about sustainable farming and gardening for The Independent News. Reach him via farmerjohnnewearth@yahoo.com.
© 2022 Pungo Publishing Co., LLC