ENCORE SAVOR
Amish-taught
is not certified as organic, its produce is free of pesticides and herbicides, Martin says. “(It’s) my own ethics of what I want to feed my family and my kids,” he explains, noting the couple has four children. “The same refrigerator that I go shopping out of, my customers do (too) and we can all share that together.”
Martin chose to study under Amish instruction because he admired the way Amish farmers care for the land and focus on the nutritional content of food — not to mention the amazing smell and appearance of their food, he says. While learning from Amish farmers in three states and interning with an Amish field consultant, Martin studied biological activity in the soil and how certain practices produce high-quality soil, which produces nutritious food. “People think a tomato is a tomato is a tomato, and that’s so far from the truth,” Martin says. The more nutritious the food, he says, the better tasting it is. Soil Friends focuses on nutrient-dense foods and utilizes the Brix system. Brix is the sum of the pounds of sucrose, fructose, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, hormones and other solids in 100 pounds of plant juice, according to the Bionutrient Food Association (BFA), which advocates for vital soils to nourish food and people.
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