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5 years!

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Thank you to everyone who joined us for Tao Yuan’s 5 year anniversary party last month. It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time celebrating with so many of our customers and friends– many of whom have been supporting us since year 1. We sincerely appreciate everything you all do for us, so thank you. And we hope you had as good a time as we did!

Checking out the plans for Canopy Farms

All proceeds from the party are going directly to support the new Canopy Farms, our long-time-coming aquaponics greenhouse project. Canopy Farms will not only grow fish and produce for the restaurants, it will also support local jobs, engage in educational activities, and provide a community hub for research in new, sustainable year-round agricultural technology. The party was a nice start to what we hope will be many opportunities to introduce the greenhouse project to the community. If you have any questions about Canopy Farms and our mission, please feel free to reach out to us or leave a comment below.

Here’s to 5 years down, and many more exciting things to come. And most of all, here’s to continuing to celebrate with all of you!

Lotus Harvest

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When a local calls you up and says they’re looking for someone to come dig up lotus root (the Asian variety and culinary favorite) from their pond, you say yes. You say yes despite the fact that the day in May you’ve chosen for harvest is 50 degrees, gray, and drizzly.

Even though we knew our chances of success were slim– the Bite of China video we watched showing how to harvest lotus showed drained lakes with roots feet deep below the surface, and we’d be in a pond up to our chests– we were all in good spirits a few Mondays back when Cara, Saskia, visiting chef Misti, and I drove up to Pownal to give this lotus dig a shot.
Supplies: Full body wet suits with gloves and booties,  spading forks, shovels, a wheelbarrow, and a sense of adventure.
Results: A few small roots, a lovely connection to a local family, and– of course– a few celebratory photos.
We hope to try again once it warms up! Look out for lotus-leaf wrapped dishes once leaves grow and flowers bloom, and maybe even a lotus root stir-fry will be in our future.

Crispy lotus root chips to top off a dish from Misti’s pop-up dinner

Kate celebrates finally digging up a root!