Sustainability and Responsible Water Use Are On the Menu
Let’s face it, vegetables are our thing. At Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes we pride ourselves on bringing you a fresh variety of vegetables and dishes made from wholesome ingredients. To accomplish this we have formed longstanding relationships with choice vendors to bring the best farm-to-table ingredients and to support farms that use water wisely and share our passion for sustainability. Our farmers look for ways to use water responsibly and practice sustainable farming methods. Farms like The Garlic Company, Campbell Ranches, and Limoneira are a few of our partners that bring you the freshest ingredients grown and harvested with our environment in mind.
Garlic is a key ingredient in many of our dishes and homemade dressings. The Garlic Company keeps us in good supply. Their garlic gets the best start from their own seed, which ensures a consistent flavor. Next is location, location, location, as the farm is located in California’s San Joaquin Valley, which boasts a warm Mediterranean climate and soil custom made for garlic. Garlic is a low-water crop and is grown underground so it is almost naturally organic. Garlic is a natural pesticide and other organic crops use garlic as a pesticide. Currently China produces about 80% of the world’s garlic and, while imported garlic is cheaper, we prefer to pay more to support local farming and bring our guests premium California garlic renowned for its distinct flavor.
If you are a longtime fan of Joan’s Broccoli Madness Salad, you may be familiar with Broccoli Bob, owner of Campbell Ranches in Lompac, California. There are about 120 acres of broccoli planted exclusively for Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes at Campbell Ranches- that’s a lot of broccoli! We noticed that many people focus on the crowns and throw the stems away. We asked Broccoli Bob to cut our broccoli closer to the ground during harvest so we can have more of the broccoli stalk. It’s important to us to use as many vegetables as we can from “root to stem” in this time of drought. The delicious outcome of this method of harvesting is Joan’s Broccoli Slaw among other wholesome recipes.
Closing our list is the sustainability powerhouse Limoneira. Founded in 1893, Limoneira has become a leader in the California citrus industry. Over 100 years ago, the founders laid the foundation for sustainable citrus farming that has lasted through two world wars and the Great Depression. Today, Limoneira remains strongly committed to the environment and uses sustainable practices in each aspect of its daily business. They have also made strategic investments in solar, water, soil, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Their commitment to responsible water use includes lab testing, filtration systems, and a network of micro sprinklers. The result is the delicious lemons we use in our recipes!
The emergency level drought in California has put sustainability and responsible water use and conservation in the spotlight. It’s important to us to not only provide the freshest ingredients, but to also respect the environment and support sustainability. Souplantation/Sweet Tomatoes is a long-time champion of supporting responsible farming and water use. Our strategic relationships are designed to bring our customers a farm-to-table experience that includes a plate for future generations.
I love you Souplantation. Proud to eat at a restaurant that cares for the environment!