By Olivia Percoco
“Let thy food be thy medicine…” —Hippocrates
On Sunday, March 20, a dozen UVM students representing Real Food Revolution, Slow Food, and the Farm to Table House trekked to the Kingsbury Market Garden in Warren, Vermont, to visit the Vermont Bean Crafters’ facility.
Together we enjoyed the first day of spring and an enriching afternoon with Baylen, Joe, and Albert, whose presentation on their enterprise touched on everything from Chinese medicine to climate change to reconnecting with traditional foodways. While before we were excited about the Bean Crafters’ new space on campus because their food is just so delicious, their unadulterated dedication to a happy earth, happy bellies, happy hearts, and happy minds makes us especially grateful to have them around.
Nourishment
The place where the magic happens is so unassuming that the Real Food Revolution group drove three miles beyond it before we realized that the tiny farm we passed a few minutes ago was probably our stop. As we walked in, we were greeted by the faces of our fellow foodie friends gathered around a large wooden table in the center of a surprisingly small room. This was certainly no warehouse. On the table were three containers of brown liquid, which I figured was some bean broth left over from straining the cooked beans we’d be eating for lunch. When Baylen announced he would start serving it up, my initial reaction was, “Wait. Hard pass on that starch-clouded bouillon.” Thankfully, Baylen went on to explain that we were actually looking at three different versions of cider (ooohhh), each with different herbal elements. Baylen has a background in Chinese herbal medicine, and this was lesson one.
He explained that the ciders were placed in order from “warmest” to “coolest.” The “warming” cider was a fire cider with onions, garlic, chilies, and spices. The “cooling” cider included urban moonshine bitters, highlighting the herb gentian, which is used for clearing inflammation, particularly of the liver. The “middle of the road” cider was made using a traditional Chinese harmonizing formula called xiao chai hu tang. We were asked to try them all and reflect on how each one made us feel. (The crowd favorite was the cooling cider with moonshine bitters, perhaps indicative of a fun night prior!)
Sense and Sensibility
It was a symbolic beginning to the Vermont Bean Crafters tour, since the business itself is built upon a very pragmatic framework. Of course, it makes sense that what we consume to nourish and fuel our bodies determines our health outcomes. Duh. Similarly, it’s only sensible to figure out how to feed ourselves a fundamental food item, like the carb- and protein-rich legume, in a state dominated by dairy. We can’t subsist on milk, cheese, and yogurt (sorry for my practicality), so focusing energy on producing food to deliver the biggest bang for your nutritional buck is a crucial element of food security, especially as we begin to feel the effects of climate change.
Not that the all-stars at Vermont Bean Crafters are too pessimistic about climate change. They see it as an opportunity. To hedge climate-change risk and take advantage of the region’s varying microclimates, they operate in a number of different locations, including New York. This eliminates the risk of 100% crop failure in the midst of some extreme-weather event, which is becoming an evermore frequent occurrence in the Northeast. Looking ahead, they also hope to integrate perennial crops into their production, since perennials tend to be more resilient than their annual counterparts and can act as a physical buffer against heavy rain.
They apply the same level of prudence to their business decisions, including the reason behind their focus on value-added products. Why not just sell dry beans? The answer lies in our current food culture. The team decided to create bean burgers because, on the whole, modern-day Americans have lost the art of cooking from scratch, as well as the time to do so. Value-added production is one way to get their foot in the door (or rather their brand in the freezer box) and slowly shift food culture to a slower, more self-sufficient model.
Resourcefulness
Besides their pragmatism and optimism, these folks are resourceful. “Scarcity breeds creativity” was Joe’s mantra of the afternoon as he walked us through the thrifty tactics the team used to acquire their equipment. Most of their equipment is used and purchased at a fraction of the cost of buying new; Craigslist was cited frequently. They have a small fanning mill for sifting the beans and an old-fashioned scale for weighing them. Some equipment, like the spiral mixer, refrigerators, and ovens, were purchased secondhand or even gifted for free. While their technology may not be glitzy and glamorous, it serves its purpose and certainly has character. What original infrastructure they do have was built thanks to loans from the Vermont Community Loan Fund, which allows them to pay off the loan at a fixed percentage of their monthly revenue versus a fixed interest rate on the loan itself. This protects them in slower months, alleviating the burden of pinching pennies (or paychecks).
After a quick stint outside visiting the Market Garden’s pigs (and piglets!), we hustled inside to enjoy a beautiful lunch prepared by Albert. Albert provided us an array of nourishing food, including bean burgers, All Souls Tortillas, focaccia bread, roasted curried sweet potato and onions, and a fresh spinach salad tossed in oil. We were also willing guinea pigs for new mushroom burger and falafel recipes. Two thumbs-up!
After lunch, we headed back outside, this time to the barn. During the barn tour, the conversation shifted to the loss of knowledge about processing. According to Joe, most people looking for a fanning mill either don’t know where to find it and/or have no idea how to use it. Ironically, almost all food we consume is processed by this technology. The increasing age of the farmer and subsequent loss of knowledge is a threat to our food system that we’ve all heard before. We can proudly say we are one step ahead of the game: We can at least recognize a fanning mill.
Education
The team just signed onto a contract with Sodexo in 2015. Whether or not that business relationship is the right fit for Vermont Bean Crafters is hard to determine just yet. They are smart enough to recognize the dangers of scaling up too fast, but they also appreciate the opportunity to interact with students on a daily basis. They are eager to share their knowledge from beyond the stand at the University Marché, which is a welcomed opportunity by students plugged into the campus sustainable-food movement.
Thank you to the Vermont Bean Crafters crew for hosting us, and be sure to check out their stand on campus in the University Marché!
-Olivia Percoco is a senior Community and International Development and Food Systems student, president of the UVM student group Real Food Revolution, and student member of the Real Food Working Group.
