Since I started working at Great Performances, there have been quite a few things that feel distinctly… GP. The jungle-like office, the colorful graffiti murals, the Artist Fellowships Liz awards each year. But one thing that really stopped me in my tracks was learning that GP has its own farm.
Katchkie Farm, located in Kinderhook, NY, was purchased by Liz Neumark, GP’s founder and CEO in 2006. It spans 60 acres and is NOFA-certified, with a strong focus on regenerative farming practices that prioritize soil health, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability.
All of that sounds great on paper but Liz has a more direct way of making sure the team understands the magic that happens on the farm. She sends us there!
That’s how I found myself pulling into a muddy driveway on a rainy Thursday morning, joining a group of colleagues to meet Farmer Jon and see it all firsthand.
The first thing I noticed as I stepped out of the car was fresh air and then rain. Good thing Farmer Jon warned us to wear waterproof shoes, because it was muddy. A few of us had kids in tow (the trip fell during a school break), and they all made a beeline straight for the puddles.
After a fair amount of splashing around, we followed Farmer Jon indoors for a quick lesson on the hierarchy of plant needs. There were diagrams, formulas, and one main takeaway: not all plants create flavor equally.
We learned that a plant might look healthy, but if it isn’t getting the right nutrients from the soil, it isn’t going through the processes that create the complex, delicious flavors chefs are looking for. A lot of what Farmer Jon does is about feeding and caring for the soil so the plants have what they need to fully develop.
Next, we went back outside to the fields and learned that the concept of terroir, something I always associated with wine and grapes, applies to vegetables too. A pinot noir grape grown further south will taste different than one from a northern vineyard, and coastal soil has different minerals than inland soil. But I never really thought about how two carrots could be affected in the same way. This is when it struck me how easy it is to feel disconnected from the land where your food is grown.
Walking the fields at Katchkie is the perfect way to reconnect. You start to see the care, intention, and patience it takes to grow something well and not just quickly. It’s nice to know that the team at Great Performances understands the quality on the plate starts long before the kitchen.