As the pandemic (and Hulu’s “The Bear”) made clear to those of us not in the biz, running a restaurant is hard. Grueling hours, an uneven flow of customers, equipment failures, staff shortages, supply chain issues and ingredient price increases are all part of the job. Gardening is no picnic, either; bringing forth something edible from a patch of dirt — while facing unpredictable weather, insatiable pests, pernicious fungi and noxious weeds — is nothing short of a miracle. Only the bravest souls take on both at once, growing their food and cooking it, too. Sometimes, all the bravery in the world is no match for bad luck. This month’s catastrophic flooding wreaked havoc on gardens around the state, including the restaurant garden for Stone’s Throw in Richmond. Usually abundant with cheerful flowers, ripening tomatoes and perky lacinato kale by midsummer, the garden is a total loss this year. “This is the second time this garden has flooded,” co-owner Allie Stratton said, referencing a fall 2019 storm that wrecked newly prepared beds. The 2023 flood was the nail in the coffin for the pizza garden. Stone’s Throw will switch gears going forward, eighty-sixing the vegetables and extending the outdoor dining space. The staff may grow herbs and perennials, but no significant crops. “It was really heartbreaking to see it all just washed away. There were some tears shed over it, for sure,” Stratton said. “I just made the executive decision that we didn’t want to go through that again.” The estimated $20,000 in damages to the outdoor space are not covered by the restaurant’s flood insurance policy, so the owners have resorted to crowdfunding to rebuild the landscape. (Read more on restaurant fundraising efforts here.) Seven Days checked in with three other food professionals who are making a go of growing their own produce, the holy grail of farm-to-table. Though safely above floodwaters, they contend with packed schedules and nature’s whims, with mixed results. Their motives vary, but it boils down to a deep-seated desire to serve the best food they can. Planting Heritage Café Mamajuana, Burlington, cafemamajuana.com Maria Lara-Bregatta exudes cool-as-a-cucumber energy. On a phone call during her 2-year-old daughter’s nap time, the Café Mamajuana chef-owner seemed decidedly unbothered by the worries that plagued other gardeners. Through the spring’s wild weather — early heat, late frost, droughty then sodden — her Colchester homestead garden did just fine…
Vermont Restaurateurs Add Vegetable Production to Their Long To-Do Lists
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