FARM z LIFE
FARM z LIFE
Zesty Fox Farm
The Art of Fine Tea
Sprouting New Roots
Wang and Dickerson Artisan Oolong Tea
nce a dining room manager at a local golf and tennis club, Inna Basanets was first introduced to microgreens by a chef. Her interest stemmed from growing up in Sumy, Ukraine where families garden together in community farms and share the harvest. Initially, she began growing microgreens part-time. She spent this time learning and perfecting her growing techniques. Ultimately, she decided to utilize organic products only, including organic soil and seeds to provide high quality microgreens grown using only organic methods. As the popularity of her microgreens grew, she decided to focus on the operation full time and opened Zesty Fox Farm in Vero Beach. Currently, Zesty Fox Farm provides microgreens, edible flowers and specialty mixes for various restaurants in Vero Beach and Melbourne, as well as providing weekly home delivery options for Vero Beach and Sebastian. Her greens can be found at local farm stands, Farm Girls produce boxes, and at the Vero Beach Oceanside Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. Microgreens are vegetable seedlings harvested at around 10 days. Typically a few inches in length, they are harvested during a stage in which they are very nutrient dense, containing vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds. Microgreens are said to contain greater amounts of these nutrients than mature greens. Many choose microgreens based on the flavor and the nutrients they provide. Restaurants typically choose microgreens based on flavor and color for presentation. Microgreens provide intense flavors ranging from mild to spicy. Zesty Fox Farm grows 25 different types including sunflower shoots, broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, radish, pea shoots and some wheatgrass. Microgreens can be used in many different ways including salads, sandwiches, pizzas, omelettes, smoothies and wraps. Wheatgrass is typically used in juicing. There really is no limit to what you can do with microgreens!
here’s an experience brewing in Vero Beach that you’ll have a hard time finding anywhere else in America. Have you ever tried premium tea from an award-winning grower when it’s fresh from the harvest? It’s a sensory treat full of subtle flavors and rich aromas. It’s an experience you can get from Wang and Dickerson Artisan Oolong Tea. In America, we can enjoy the best of the best from around the world. Premium versions of everything from fine wines to luxury automobiles are available almost anywhere in the USA. Yet for some reason, fine tea is almost impossible to find. The best tea typically sells out in Asia and never makes it to America. I was certified as a tea master in Taiwan and I firmly believe that Taiwan produces the finest oolong tea in the world. Wang and Dickerson offers single-estate, small batch artisan tea from Taiwan. I travel to Taiwan twice a year and meet the growers in person. I visit their tea gardens, verify their agricultural and production processes, and I look them in the eye as I taste their tea. I’ve sampled thousands of cups of tea with dozens of tea growers. I currently import tea from a small, elite group of artisans who I trust, respect and admire. In Asia, the culture of fine tea is very similar to the fine wine culture in the western world. As with fine wine, the appreciation of fine tea is about the pleasure of the experience, the delightful aromas and the subtle nuances of flavor. I have developed tea workshops where I show people how professional tea tasters evaluate tea. I love to see the difference it makes when people understand and fully experience all that premium tea has to offer. While oolong tea remains our specialty, Wang and Dickerson has expanded to offer a variety of fine teas and premium herbal infusions. With herbs, as with tea, I focus on the growers. I use herbs from a small, carefully selected group of artisan organic growers in the U.S. My herbal blends are both delicious and full of health benefits. When I’m blending herbal tea for my customers, I feel like I’m writing a love letter to each of them. In that magical moment, I embed my heart and feelings of joy into every batch of tea. It’s a difference you can see and taste. I encourage you to slow down for those precious minutes when you enjoy a cup of our tea. Relax and experience that lingering feeling of well-being that lasts long after the teapot is empty.
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Learn more at ZestyFoxFarm.com and watch them grow on @zestyfoxfarm_
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Wang and Dickerson Artisan Oolong Tea is at the Vero Beach Oceanside Farmers Market every Saturday or you can order online at WangandDickersonTea.com. Follow along on @wanganddickerson for workshop news and information. For private tea workshops, email wendy@wanganddickersontea.com.
Written by WENDY WANG Photography by CHRISTINA KLINGLER Written and Photographed by NIKKI DAVIDSON 50
March-April 2020
Portfolio-VeroBeach.com
Portfolio-VeroBeach.com
March-April 2020
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