L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano R a i s e d i n Spokane as p a r t o f a n Italian-Greek family, Jack- i e C r o s s h a d g r o w n u p embracing both her cultural heritage as well as the lush a g r i c u l t u r a l t r a d i t i o n s o f eastern Washington. Her mother was an avid garden- e r a n d h e r g r a n d p a r e n t s instilled in her a love and a p p r e c i a t i o n f o r t h e o u t - d o o r s a n d t h e i n i m i t a b l e v a l u e o f h o m e - g r o w n herbs and vegetables. "My Italian grandmother, w h o h a d h o m e s t e a d e d i n Northern Idaho, had a very large kitchen garden behind h e r h o u s e i n B r o w n e ' s Addition in Spokane," Cross wrote in a blog post. "My Greek grandfather's toma- toes in Warden, Wash., were famous for their vigorous g r o w t h a n d s h e e r a b u n - dance. I had been nurtured by all these wonderful gar- deners and was a successful gardener myself." With this strong founda- tion under her feet, Cross and her restaurateur hus- band purchased a 20-acre farm in Prosser, a small town of about 6,000 people along the Yakima River in eastern Washington. Although Cross is a co- owner and partner in the family business, it's her hus- b a n d – T o m D o u g l a s – who is known for his role in defining Northwest cuisine. For more than 30 years, this James Beard award-winning c h e f h a s r e c e i v e d n e a r l y every culinary honor avail- able. In 2008, Bon Appetit named him Restaurateur of the Year, and the James Beard Foundation awarded him a similar accolade in 2012. His first restaurant, Dahlia Lounge, has been a mainstay in Seattle's fine dining scene since it opened in 1989. Since then, the cou- p l e h a s o p e n e d 1 2 o t h e r restaurants, along with a catering operation and event rental space, a product line of rubs and seasonings, and a cooking school. W h e n t h e d u o b o u g h t Prosser Farm in 2006, the idea was to grow and supply some of the organic produce they used in their restau- rants every day. Although t h e r e s t a u r a n t s ' d i n i n g r o o m s a r e s t i l l c l o s e d because of the coronavirus pandemic, in previous years P r o s s e r F a r m p r o v i d e d about 1,500 pounds of pro- d u c e e a c h w e e k t o t h e i r kitchens. Despite Cross' family his- tory and her love of garden- ing, the road to running a successful farm came with a huge learning curve. First, there were the rabbits. Who knew they were going to be s o h u n g r y ? A f t e r s e e i n g crops destroyed during her first growing season, Cross h a d a r a b b i t - p r o o f f e n c e installed before tackling sea- son two on the farm. Then the team laid down the wrong mix of compost, which burned many of the plants from the roots up. T h a t m e a n t C r o s s h a d t o master the intricacies of soil m a n a g e m e n t . A n d t h e n there were the formidable winds that blew down from t h e H o r s e H e a v e n H i l l s , which could undo the green bean crop in record time. Not to mention the tractors that broke down quite regu- larly, usually when Cross needed them most. B u t s l o w l y , y e a r a f t e r year, Cross and her team l e a r n e d a n d a d a p t e d . I n time, running the farm got a little easier and problems were solved before they got o u t o f h a n d . I n 2 0 1 7 , P r o s s e r F a r m p r o v i d e d 65,000 pounds of tomatoes for the restaurants. Cross a n d h e r t e a m a l s o r a i s e d some 3,000 peppers, about 1 , 0 0 0 e g g p l a n t s a n d a n array of melons and cucum- bers. During the busy sea- son, she is in the field about three days a week; her hus- band joins her there a few times a month. C r o s s t a k e s p r i d e i n including the restaurant staff as part of the grow- ing process. Each winter, she and her husband meet with their chefs to discuss which crops to plant. They m i g h t t a l k a b o u t m e n u trends and what new culi- n a r y i d e a s t h e y w a n t t o e x p l o r e . " A l o t o f t h e s e chefs grew up in the city, or g r e w u p i n a p a r t m e n t s , " said Cross. Knowing how to c o o k b r o c c o l i o r k a l e i n innovative ways is an entire- ly different skill than under- standing the intricacies of f a r m i n g a n d c u l t i v a t i o n . C r o s s k n o w s t h a t a m o r e informed kitchen staff can make better decisions that will maximize the quality, freshness and nutritional value they can offer their diners. This hands-on involve- ment is not just reserved for the chefs. It trickles down to other restaurant employees, including the wait staff. The P r o s s e r f a r m h o u s e h a s a large, nearly commercial- sized kitchen, perfect for company retreats and team- oriented activities. "During the season, a lot of times the manager of a restaurant will say, 'I want to come over there with a few of my peo- ple – usually five or six – and team build,'" said Cross. "They'll stay for a day, cook dinner with the team and go back. It's nice for groups to work together. And I like familiarizing people with the farm, especially when the wait staff comes over; then they can talk to customers about the farm experience." Cross acknowledges that t h e f a r m i s n o t a m o n e y maker, although she said it u s u a l l y b r e a k s e v e n . T h e value is seen more on a per- sonal level. It's in knowing the quality of the produce, where it comes from, and how it's harvested. Locally grown also means a smaller carbon footprint since the food is not traveling as far to get to the dinner plate. For Cross, these benefits far out- weigh all the hungry rabbits, violent winds, broken trac- t o r s a n d w h a t e v e r e l s e might come her way. RITA CIPALLA A farm-to-restaurant business that takes an all-in-the-family approach Growing up among gifted gardeners in an Italian-Greek family, Jackie Cross and her restaurateur husband Tom Douglas decided to buy their own farm in 2006. (Tom Douglas) SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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