WEBVTT 00:00.084 --> 00:03.709 - [Narrator] Taste Makers was funded in part by: 00:04.376 --> 00:07.749 (thoughtful music) 00:09.750 --> 00:10.833 - [Announcer] It all comes down 00:10.833 --> 00:13.584 to creating something unique. 00:14.459 --> 00:17.749 It's important to take pride in one's work, 00:17.749 --> 00:19.917 and share expertise. 00:19.917 --> 00:23.334 (thoughtful music) 00:23.875 --> 00:27.334 Edward Jones is proud to support the craftspeople 00:27.334 --> 00:30.668 who define the maker movement. 00:34.959 --> 00:37.749 (cheerful music) 00:37.749 --> 00:41.084 - The average head of lettuce travels 2,000 miles 00:41.084 --> 00:42.709 to make it to your grocery store. 00:42.709 --> 00:45.542 So what if we wanted to reduce the carbon footprint 00:45.542 --> 00:48.750 of our food by growing produce in urban farms. 00:48.750 --> 00:50.459 In this episode of Taste Makers, 00:50.459 --> 00:52.084 you're going to meet Matt Lebon, 00:52.084 --> 00:54.292 who is building permaculture foodscapes 00:54.292 --> 00:57.626 across the City of St. Louis. 00:59.167 --> 01:01.749 (cheerful music) 01:01.749 --> 01:04.084 - I'm Cat Neville, and for the past two decades 01:04.084 --> 01:06.668 I've been telling the story of local food. 01:06.668 --> 01:08.875 In that time American food culture has exploded 01:08.875 --> 01:13.376 in tiny towns and big cities from coast to coast. 01:13.376 --> 01:15.749 In Taste Makers, I explore the maker movement 01:15.749 --> 01:18.626 and take you along for the journey to meet the makers 01:18.626 --> 01:22.292 who define the flavor of American cuisine. 01:22.749 --> 01:26.167 (thoughtful music) 01:36.167 --> 01:37.749 You may want to grow your own food, 01:37.749 --> 01:39.792 but where exactly should you begin? 01:39.792 --> 01:42.749 Building a successful garden takes expertise, 01:42.749 --> 01:43.749 and so here in St. Louis, 01:43.749 --> 01:47.749 Matt Lebon is building permaculture sustainable foodscapes 01:47.749 --> 01:51.501 for everyone from churches to chefs to schools, 01:51.501 --> 01:52.626 and even folks just like you 01:52.626 --> 01:55.584 who want to eat just a little bit closer to home. 01:55.584 --> 01:58.749 (thoughtful music) 02:00.542 --> 02:05.459 - I would define permaculture as nature inspired design. 02:05.459 --> 02:08.251 It's an ethic, and it's a design methodology. 02:08.251 --> 02:10.749 The ethic is about taking care of the Earth, 02:10.749 --> 02:14.626 taking care of people and sharing of surplus, 02:14.626 --> 02:16.749 and the other component of that 02:16.749 --> 02:20.042 is a lot more ecological minded and it says, 02:20.042 --> 02:24.626 well how is nature solving a lot of the problems 02:24.626 --> 02:26.749 that it has to manage? 02:28.167 --> 02:31.917 Ultimately we have to be ecological engineers. 02:31.917 --> 02:33.833 We have to figure out all the workarounds, 02:33.833 --> 02:36.000 'cause obviously we're not getting rid of the city, 02:36.000 --> 02:38.501 so how do we create the same pattern, 02:38.501 --> 02:41.042 and permaculture is so much about patterns 02:41.042 --> 02:42.709 and looking at the patterns of nature, 02:42.709 --> 02:45.125 how do we create patterns that mimic it 02:45.125 --> 02:47.542 to the greatest degree possible? 02:49.376 --> 02:51.749 I started custom foodscaping mostly because 02:51.749 --> 02:55.042 I felt like I had been so interested in the food, 02:55.042 --> 02:59.709 farming and permaculture world, and I just felt flooded 02:59.709 --> 03:03.584 with all of this interest in people wanting to create 03:03.584 --> 03:05.792 what I call, Food Producing Landscapes. 03:05.792 --> 03:08.209 From small raised bed vegetable gardens 03:08.209 --> 03:10.167 to bigger food forests 03:10.167 --> 03:11.749 through regenerative agriculture farms. 03:11.749 --> 03:13.875 People needed help, and I thought, well, 03:13.875 --> 03:16.750 St. Louis has nobody doing this and I feel like 03:16.750 --> 03:20.417 this is such an opportunity to create something new 03:20.417 --> 03:23.459 in our community that would address this demand 03:23.459 --> 03:26.792 that I'm seeing for people to have somebody who is 03:26.792 --> 03:29.959 at the table who actually knows about farming and gardening 03:29.959 --> 03:32.000 when planning their farm and garden, which, 03:32.000 --> 03:36.626 I feel like so often is not necessarily happening. 03:36.626 --> 03:39.749 (cheerful music) 03:41.668 --> 03:45.334 We are here in South City, St. Louis, Missouri, 03:45.334 --> 03:47.417 and we're just on a city lot 03:47.417 --> 03:50.459 in what we call the urban food forest. 03:50.459 --> 03:52.792 So, 5,200 square foot lot, 03:52.792 --> 03:56.167 that is primarily made up of edible plants 03:56.167 --> 03:59.626 and native flowers, rain gardens, rainwater catchment, 03:59.626 --> 04:02.042 and everything that we can do to try 04:02.042 --> 04:04.833 to live close to the land and grow our own food 04:04.833 --> 04:06.668 in the middle of the city. 04:06.668 --> 04:09.749 (cheerful music) 04:15.584 --> 04:16.792 - We're deep in the heart of the city, 04:16.792 --> 04:20.626 and when I think about these types of backyards, 04:20.626 --> 04:22.833 like a lot of you at home probably have, 04:22.833 --> 04:25.749 it seems like by default, it's grass, 04:25.749 --> 04:29.334 and a few trees and some shrubs that you picked up 04:29.334 --> 04:30.833 at the local store. 04:30.833 --> 04:33.959 How long did it take for you to build this? 04:33.959 --> 04:36.125 This almost seems completely daunting 04:36.125 --> 04:39.749 to the average person to aspire to, essentially. 04:39.749 --> 04:42.749 - We're in year four at this site here 04:42.749 --> 04:44.749 and it really has taken four years 04:44.749 --> 04:46.167 for us to get to this point. 04:46.167 --> 04:49.668 Like any big project, it was a phased plan. 04:49.668 --> 04:52.459 It starts out with, okay, what's goal one. 04:52.459 --> 04:56.417 In permacultures, goal one is usually water management. 04:56.417 --> 04:57.875 So, the very first think we did on the site 04:57.875 --> 05:01.292 is figure out how are we gonna keep water on the land 05:01.292 --> 05:03.668 and sink it in, and so, that's why we've gotten 05:03.668 --> 05:06.749 more and more into the idea of rain gardens, 05:06.749 --> 05:09.292 and rain gardens can actually absorb 05:09.292 --> 05:12.084 thousands of gallons of water in a small space. 05:12.084 --> 05:15.833 It's a hole in the ground that fills up with water 05:15.833 --> 05:16.875 that comes from a higher place, 05:16.875 --> 05:19.251 whether that'd be higher up in the landscape on a hill, 05:19.251 --> 05:20.376 or off of a house. 05:20.376 --> 05:22.626 So then it has a chance to sink in. 05:22.626 --> 05:24.875 The plants that we plant in rain gardens 05:24.875 --> 05:28.125 are very adept at utilizing all that water 05:28.125 --> 05:31.749 and helping move it through their root systems and then 05:31.749 --> 05:34.334 evapotranspiring it into the atmosphere, 05:34.334 --> 05:36.668 where we want all that water going. 05:36.668 --> 05:39.251 - Rather than into the storm drains, 05:39.251 --> 05:41.749 you're capturing that resource and using it 05:41.749 --> 05:44.749 for what nature intended it to be used for. 05:44.749 --> 05:46.334 - [Matt] Exactly, yeah. 05:47.542 --> 05:51.292 - [Cat] So, for people at home who want to maybe 05:51.292 --> 05:53.584 baby step into something like this, 05:53.584 --> 05:55.875 what are some small things that people can do 05:55.875 --> 05:58.917 to start to make a difference at their own house? 05:58.917 --> 06:01.542 - Yeah, I think there's a few different strategies 06:01.542 --> 06:03.833 that make a lot of sense for most people. 06:03.833 --> 06:06.917 The first is thinking about their fence edges 06:06.917 --> 06:08.459 and just the edges of their property. 06:08.459 --> 06:12.749 So, think about planting some kind of edible hedge, or, 06:12.749 --> 06:16.000 even a linear food forest where maybe you put in 06:16.000 --> 06:18.000 a few fruit trees and some herbs 06:18.000 --> 06:20.501 around those different fruit trees. 06:20.501 --> 06:21.749 It's so easy to grow herbs, 06:21.749 --> 06:23.749 and it's such a beautiful introduction 06:23.749 --> 06:26.750 into all the flavors and the smells 06:26.750 --> 06:31.042 that we're used to just seeing already appear on our dishes, 06:31.042 --> 06:34.084 and I think that's a really great place to get started. 06:34.084 --> 06:35.917 - It's a good introduction. - Mm hmm. 06:35.917 --> 06:38.000 - [Cat] So, tell me about this roselle plant, 06:38.000 --> 06:41.542 because its blossoms are pretty interesting. 06:41.542 --> 06:45.334 - So many of the plants that we put in are perennials, 06:45.334 --> 06:46.749 and then when we design these landscapes, 06:46.749 --> 06:51.376 we put in annuals to fill in space and look beautiful. 06:51.376 --> 06:55.501 So the roselle is actually a hibiscus family plant 06:55.501 --> 06:57.542 so if you've had hibiscus tea? 06:57.542 --> 06:58.334 - [Cat] Mm hmm. 06:58.334 --> 07:00.376 - It makes these gorgeous flowers. 07:00.376 --> 07:02.749 But if you grab them before they actually 07:02.749 --> 07:05.917 make a huge flower, the calix, which is the area 07:05.917 --> 07:09.542 that kind of encases the flower before it opens up, 07:09.542 --> 07:14.209 in the case of roselle it's kind of tangy and crunchy 07:14.209 --> 07:19.749 and it lends itself well to tea or being candied by chefs 07:19.749 --> 07:21.917 or putting it on all kinds of dishes. 07:21.917 --> 07:24.749 - I mean, you can go down the rabbit hole on just 07:24.749 --> 07:28.209 all the different amazing things that you could plant. 07:28.209 --> 07:30.459 This is the kind of thing that you could apply 07:30.459 --> 07:31.417 no matter where you live, 07:31.417 --> 07:32.750 no matter what your environment is. 07:32.750 --> 07:35.376 You just have to find what thrives locally. 07:35.376 --> 07:36.626 - Absolutely. 07:43.668 --> 07:45.334 - Earth Dance is an organic farm school 07:45.334 --> 07:48.626 that is located right in the heart of Ferguson, Missouri. 07:48.626 --> 07:51.584 Matt was the farm manger here for about five years 07:51.584 --> 07:53.668 and he built these permaculture orchards 07:53.668 --> 07:55.792 that continue to thrive and teach people 07:55.792 --> 07:58.833 about this unique style of agriculture. 07:59.749 --> 08:02.209 (thoughtful music) 08:02.209 --> 08:04.459 Give me an overview of what you do here. 08:04.459 --> 08:07.709 - At Earth Dance we teach people from all walks of life 08:07.709 --> 08:11.209 where healthy food comes from and how to grow it themselves. 08:11.209 --> 08:14.668 This is the oldest organic farm west of the Mississippi 08:14.668 --> 08:18.875 in continuous organic production since 1883. 08:20.417 --> 08:24.334 - [Cat] So, Matt Lebon, he was the farm director here 08:24.334 --> 08:30.584 for five years, and he kind of left this lasting impression, 08:31.125 --> 08:33.584 literally, on the school. 08:33.584 --> 08:35.251 - Matt is deeply beloved here. 08:35.251 --> 08:39.833 He conceived the idea for a one acre pear orchard 08:39.833 --> 08:42.750 to start off with because who's growing 08:42.750 --> 08:45.749 organic pears in the Midwest? 08:45.749 --> 08:50.292 And, the idea expanded and grew until 08:50.292 --> 08:52.209 it became a dispersed orchard, 08:52.209 --> 08:57.000 interspersed with our mixed vegetables, all across the farm. 08:57.000 --> 09:00.626 Over 200 fruit trees, so many different kinds. 09:00.626 --> 09:04.251 - Well, and I love the fact that what he built was perennial 09:04.251 --> 09:08.000 and it really is this kind of legacy that he leaves behind 09:08.000 --> 09:09.959 where you can continue to teach people 09:09.959 --> 09:11.749 the principles of this type of growing 09:11.749 --> 09:15.749 which as our resources become more and more stretched, 09:15.749 --> 09:19.167 water in particular, it a way for people to 09:19.167 --> 09:21.668 grow sustainable gardens at home. 09:21.668 --> 09:24.875 (thoughtful music) 09:25.749 --> 09:27.749 So, obviously this is a farm school, 09:27.749 --> 09:32.000 but beyond teaching people about organic farming practices, 09:32.000 --> 09:38.167 what value does the farm have particularly for Ferguson? 09:38.584 --> 09:40.501 - I think that it is a point of pride. 09:40.501 --> 09:44.376 I think that being able to say that something special 09:44.376 --> 09:47.917 like this happens here and it's completely the opposite 09:47.917 --> 09:51.875 of the media image of Ferguson, #Ferguson. 09:51.875 --> 09:55.626 And then, we have neighbors that come by 09:55.626 --> 09:57.251 and pick some food sometimes. 09:57.251 --> 09:59.501 We sell at the Ferguson Farmer's Market. 09:59.501 --> 10:02.584 We employ Ferguson youth, and increasingly, 10:02.584 --> 10:05.668 we're looking to donate produce and partner with 10:05.668 --> 10:08.376 other organizations in Ferguson that are doing good work 10:08.376 --> 10:12.749 to provide them with good food to further their good work. 10:13.292 --> 10:16.709 (thoughtful music) 10:28.959 --> 10:31.042 - One of the advantages of growing your own 10:31.042 --> 10:32.750 is that chefs and makers are not restricted 10:32.750 --> 10:35.749 by what they can get from their produce distributor. 10:35.749 --> 10:38.251 Here at Confluence Kombucha in The Grove, 10:38.251 --> 10:41.417 they pull from co-owner Julie Villarini's back yard 10:41.417 --> 10:43.833 to supply the kitchen with some pretty unique items, 10:43.833 --> 10:46.125 so let's get inside and check it out. 10:46.125 --> 10:49.209 (cheerful music) 10:54.501 --> 10:55.833 Tell me about your approach to kombucha. 10:55.833 --> 10:58.251 There are a lot of folks who are making kombucha these days 10:58.251 --> 11:00.749 and what makes yours a little bit different? 11:00.749 --> 11:04.459 - So, we make kombucha I think in the most traditional, 11:04.459 --> 11:07.749 authentic way possible, very small batches, 11:07.749 --> 11:10.125 all by hand, all done in glass, 11:10.125 --> 11:11.833 and then we infuse the kombucha 11:11.833 --> 11:13.459 with a lot of local ingredients. 11:13.459 --> 11:16.417 - Which is exactly why we're standing here, because, 11:16.417 --> 11:17.749 not only local but actually 11:17.749 --> 11:20.833 stuff that's coming out of your back yard. 11:20.833 --> 11:25.626 You bought this house in the Shaw Neighborhood of St. Louis, 11:25.626 --> 11:28.251 and it's a total redo. 11:28.251 --> 11:30.750 The yard is completely overgrown. 11:30.750 --> 11:33.334 You had an idea of what you wanted, but, 11:33.334 --> 11:35.749 how to actually make that come to life, 11:35.749 --> 11:37.875 that's kind of what Matt helped you with. 11:37.875 --> 11:39.376 - [Julie] Right, we got together and we said 11:39.376 --> 11:41.749 what can we do to transform this space 11:41.749 --> 11:44.792 into things that we could use in the kombucha 11:44.792 --> 11:46.417 or in the restaurant. 11:46.417 --> 11:48.750 - And so, why did you do that at your house 11:48.750 --> 11:52.125 and not just, you know, work with a farmer? 11:52.125 --> 11:53.749 Why did you want it to be at home? 11:53.749 --> 11:56.917 - Seeing something from the ground up, 11:56.917 --> 11:58.749 seeing it every day, living with it, 11:58.749 --> 12:01.792 seeing it transform from a shoot to a flower 12:01.792 --> 12:05.501 to a berry to a kombucha, it was just something 12:05.501 --> 12:07.749 that I felt was a way for me to connect 12:07.749 --> 12:11.542 and for us to connect more deeply with our products. 12:11.542 --> 12:12.209 - Fantastic. 12:12.209 --> 12:17.125 You have this vegetable that Matt planted called fuki? 12:17.125 --> 12:17.917 - [Julie] Mm hmm. 12:17.917 --> 12:19.167 - [Cat] So, tell me about what fuki is. 12:19.167 --> 12:21.542 - So, fuki is a Japanese stemmed vegetable. 12:21.542 --> 12:23.833 So, we use the stems to pickle. 12:23.833 --> 12:24.749 It can also be steamed, 12:24.749 --> 12:27.292 that's the traditional Japanese way to make it, 12:27.292 --> 12:29.749 but the leaves of the fuki can be used 12:29.749 --> 12:32.749 kind of like a banana leaf to wrap and steam 12:32.749 --> 12:35.542 fish or rice, things like that, so, 12:35.542 --> 12:38.668 when he told me that it grows well in St. Louis, 12:38.668 --> 12:39.584 in our climate, in our soil, 12:39.584 --> 12:42.709 I was really excited to have it in my back yard. 12:42.875 --> 12:45.749 - Definitely, and now you're able to give your customers 12:45.749 --> 12:46.584 something totally unique 12:46.584 --> 12:48.584 that they've probably never had before, 12:48.584 --> 12:50.501 and that's what I love about it, too, 12:50.501 --> 12:52.251 is that I think there's a lot of fulfillment 12:52.251 --> 12:55.584 for the person who is growing and managing the garden. 12:55.584 --> 12:59.292 But, you're able to translate that to education 12:59.292 --> 13:02.833 and more inspiration for people who kind of like have these 13:02.833 --> 13:06.376 a ha moments when they come in and taste something here. 13:06.376 --> 13:09.542 (cheerful music) 13:15.792 --> 13:18.459 Foodscapes at a restaurant or even in your back yard 13:18.459 --> 13:21.042 are a no-brainer, but what about at a school? 13:21.042 --> 13:23.709 Here at Principia School in St. Louis 13:23.709 --> 13:25.084 there is a permaculture orchard 13:25.084 --> 13:26.584 that serves as a living classroom 13:26.584 --> 13:31.042 and students learn about food as well as sustainability. 13:31.042 --> 13:34.501 (thoughtful music) 13:34.749 --> 13:36.042 - We were doing field trips around the area, 13:36.042 --> 13:39.750 and we went and visited Earth Dance farms in Ferguson 13:39.750 --> 13:44.000 and met Matt Leban, and he taught us all about 13:44.000 --> 13:48.668 what permaculture is and we were able to see and witness 13:48.668 --> 13:52.376 permaculture agriculture in practice. 13:52.376 --> 13:54.749 - Principia, they got turned on to 13:54.749 --> 13:57.334 this idea of permaculture, and, 13:57.334 --> 13:59.917 that led them to Earth Dance, 13:59.917 --> 14:01.376 where they went on a field trip. 14:01.376 --> 14:03.251 They learned more about permaculture, 14:03.251 --> 14:05.417 which is all about regenerative landscapes, 14:05.417 --> 14:08.875 and perennial plants, unique planting schemes that 14:08.875 --> 14:11.917 aim to both provide food and habitat. 14:11.917 --> 14:14.501 - Students were able to take that information in 14:14.501 --> 14:17.749 and essentially they came back to class and said 14:17.749 --> 14:20.959 we wanna build this, we want this here on campus, 14:20.959 --> 14:24.417 and here, we're able to garden, essentially, 14:24.417 --> 14:27.167 create food for people and the planet 14:27.167 --> 14:30.749 in a way that works seamlessly with nature. 14:30.749 --> 14:33.542 - I worked with them to help find a spot on campus 14:33.542 --> 14:36.292 that was suitable, and it turns out that 14:36.292 --> 14:39.167 the same kind of land that is pretty unsuitable 14:39.167 --> 14:43.125 for a lot of activities is very much suitable for orchards, 14:43.125 --> 14:44.209 which, in this case is, 14:44.209 --> 14:47.542 sloping land that is kind of hard to manage. 14:47.542 --> 14:50.749 Fruit trees love growing in those environments. 14:50.749 --> 14:51.668 (thoughtful music) 14:51.668 --> 14:56.000 - Why is something like this beneficial in a school setting? 14:56.000 --> 14:58.292 Like, why do you think maybe other schools should 14:58.292 --> 15:00.875 think about putting in some sort of a garden 15:00.875 --> 15:03.125 or a permaculture landscape? 15:03.125 --> 15:05.584 - I think it's a really good way of teaching kids 15:05.584 --> 15:08.749 where their food comes from, which might or might not 15:08.749 --> 15:11.875 change their mind on where they get their food from, 15:11.875 --> 15:14.000 make them more efficient with that, which, 15:14.000 --> 15:16.709 I mean, it's somewhat of a little thing but 15:16.709 --> 15:17.875 those little things add up 15:17.875 --> 15:21.042 and help us improve our climate for sure. 15:21.792 --> 15:23.668 - This orchard is all about having 15:23.668 --> 15:25.833 organic kind of products for us here, 15:25.833 --> 15:29.251 and it's really about how to have a sustainable lifestyle 15:29.251 --> 15:30.709 and what we can have here and then 15:30.709 --> 15:34.334 bring it to our kitchen to use basically every single day. 15:34.334 --> 15:35.750 You're not just sitting in a classroom, 15:35.750 --> 15:37.750 you're being hands-on and it gets students 15:37.750 --> 15:40.749 to be more energetic and actually wanting 15:40.749 --> 15:42.668 to come into that class. 15:42.833 --> 15:45.042 - For the betterment of humanity is what we're about 15:45.042 --> 15:49.749 at this school and so having students be able to 15:49.749 --> 15:52.459 understand what the challenges are of today 15:52.459 --> 15:56.959 wherever they are on their interest level is so critical, 15:56.959 --> 16:00.125 so critical to next steps for our world. 16:10.959 --> 16:13.833 - And now we're stopping by Vicia here in St. Louis. 16:13.833 --> 16:15.749 We're gonna check in with Tara Gallina 16:15.749 --> 16:17.042 and talk about how this garden 16:17.042 --> 16:20.334 supplies the kitchen as well as the bar. 16:20.334 --> 16:23.459 (cheerful music) 16:26.167 --> 16:28.292 We're in the middle of the Cortex, 16:28.292 --> 16:29.584 the tech hub of St. Louis, 16:29.584 --> 16:32.917 and what I love is that we have this beautiful garden 16:32.917 --> 16:35.749 just right over my shoulder and it kind of serves 16:35.749 --> 16:39.084 as this buffer between the urban core of the city 16:39.084 --> 16:41.292 and this amazing farm-driven restaurant. 16:41.292 --> 16:43.792 - Yeah, talk about bringing it right front and center. 16:43.792 --> 16:45.875 Our whole restaurant philosophy is really about 16:45.875 --> 16:48.542 celebrating local food here in the Midwest 16:48.542 --> 16:49.584 and particularly in St. Louis. 16:49.584 --> 16:51.750 - [Cat] So, there's the visual element for the guests, 16:51.750 --> 16:54.875 but there's practical applications too. 16:54.875 --> 16:56.668 - We've been able to pretty much eliminate 16:56.668 --> 16:58.251 the bulk herb ordering we're doing 16:58.251 --> 16:59.750 through our bigger purveyors. 16:59.750 --> 17:03.209 We can get basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, lavender, 17:03.209 --> 17:05.292 all these awesome very flavorful herbs. 17:05.292 --> 17:07.750 Anise hyssop is a big one that we use, too, 17:07.750 --> 17:08.750 just right from outside. 17:08.750 --> 17:10.042 The cooks get to be a part of that, 17:10.042 --> 17:11.833 so they get their hands in the mix, 17:11.833 --> 17:13.251 get to learn about the plants also, 17:13.251 --> 17:15.334 which I think it's nice to get them out of the kitchen 17:15.334 --> 17:16.875 even if it's a hot day like today, 17:16.875 --> 17:19.626 but to be able to have that experience 17:19.626 --> 17:21.251 every day is really neat. 17:21.251 --> 17:22.209 - So, beyond the herbs, though, 17:22.209 --> 17:24.875 you have a fig tree, you have tomatoes, you have peppers. 17:24.875 --> 17:29.000 Jujubes even, which are a really cool native tree. 17:29.000 --> 17:32.125 (cheerful music) 17:32.459 --> 17:34.042 So, what are you guys gonna make for us today? 17:34.042 --> 17:36.792 - So our tomato salad is sort of one of our key dishes 17:36.792 --> 17:37.959 that we serve throughout the summer. 17:37.959 --> 17:40.376 Missouri is very famous for awesome tomatoes, 17:40.376 --> 17:42.000 especially when we have this really hot weather, 17:42.000 --> 17:44.292 and they're accentuated by just delicious herbs 17:44.292 --> 17:46.749 from the garden, so it's as simple as cutting them up, 17:46.749 --> 17:49.376 harvesting them, scattering them all over the top 17:49.376 --> 17:51.042 of this bowl of marinated tomatoes 17:51.042 --> 17:53.749 with fruits like plums and cucumber 17:53.749 --> 17:54.833 and just really nice and bright, 17:54.833 --> 17:56.209 but the herbs just make everything pop. 17:56.209 --> 17:59.417 So, everything from mints to basil to anise hyssop, 17:59.417 --> 18:01.042 it's just so delicious. 18:01.542 --> 18:04.334 - So, you use the garden obviously in the kitchen, 18:04.334 --> 18:05.626 but you use it behind the bar as well 18:05.626 --> 18:08.000 and your bar program is very seasonal, 18:08.000 --> 18:11.459 it's really innovative and driven by herbs 18:11.459 --> 18:12.334 and fruits and veggies. 18:12.334 --> 18:14.792 - Yeah, so our botanical beverages menu is what we call it 18:14.792 --> 18:18.334 and it's really just driven by all these wonderful plants 18:18.334 --> 18:19.376 and flowers in particular. 18:19.376 --> 18:20.749 So, one drink that I think surprised me the most 18:20.749 --> 18:22.542 that we've developed is called the straw flower, 18:22.542 --> 18:24.749 which is something we've planted because they're beautiful 18:24.749 --> 18:26.084 and I thought they would be great to use 18:26.084 --> 18:27.584 as floral arrangements in the restaurant, 18:27.584 --> 18:29.750 and I didn't really think they had a culinary value, 18:29.750 --> 18:31.749 but it turns out our bartender, Phil Ingram, 18:31.749 --> 18:34.417 is very talented and he has been harvesting them 18:34.417 --> 18:36.000 and making a tea out of them. 18:36.000 --> 18:37.042 - Oh, cool! 18:37.042 --> 18:38.417 - And extracting this really delicious flavor, 18:38.417 --> 18:39.542 it has like a honey quality to it, 18:39.542 --> 18:42.334 and I never thought we would get sort of that 18:42.334 --> 18:43.292 second purpose out of them 18:43.292 --> 18:44.542 and now it's almost like this refreshing 18:44.542 --> 18:46.251 honey iced tea cocktail which I just love 18:46.251 --> 18:48.167 and is beautiful and I think is a perfect example 18:48.167 --> 18:51.125 of how you kinda have to think outside the box sometimes 18:51.125 --> 18:52.334 and work with what you've got. 18:52.334 --> 18:54.292 - Well, and I think that's one of the things 18:54.292 --> 18:56.875 that is so valuable about the opportunity 18:56.875 --> 18:59.709 to plant these kind of foodscapes is that 18:59.709 --> 19:01.209 you can decide that you wanna grow 19:01.209 --> 19:03.749 ingredients that are kind of unique to you. 19:03.749 --> 19:04.749 - Yeah! 19:04.749 --> 19:06.749 - So, how did you decide on the mix? 19:06.749 --> 19:09.626 Did you work with Matt on kind of designing something 19:09.626 --> 19:11.626 or did you already know what you wanted to plant? 19:11.626 --> 19:14.000 - Matt really helped guide us through this whole process, 19:14.000 --> 19:16.042 I mean, he's so passionate about what he does, 19:16.042 --> 19:18.000 and when he brought us this first rendering 19:18.000 --> 19:19.709 of how he thought this was gonna look 19:19.709 --> 19:20.749 I almost didn't believe him. 19:20.749 --> 19:22.501 It's like it can't, this can't be possible, 19:22.501 --> 19:25.501 and it exceeded, I think, what we both thought 19:25.501 --> 19:27.042 would be possible here. 19:28.042 --> 19:31.209 (cheerful music) 19:41.917 --> 19:43.749 - Here at Jubilee Community Church in North St. Louis, 19:43.749 --> 19:47.750 the garden that they built in collaboration with Matt 19:47.750 --> 19:49.584 feeds not only the community spirit, 19:49.584 --> 19:52.542 it also provides a much needed revenue stream 19:52.542 --> 19:54.292 for the church itself. 19:54.749 --> 19:56.668 (thoughtful music) 19:56.668 --> 19:58.292 - If you know anything about North City 19:58.292 --> 20:00.749 you know there is a lot of land vacancy out in that area, 20:00.749 --> 20:02.749 and Jubilee Church is working to do 20:02.749 --> 20:06.833 so many amazing things to lift up that community. 20:06.833 --> 20:10.875 One of the things that they did recently 20:10.875 --> 20:13.792 was purchase that vacant plot of land 20:13.792 --> 20:15.125 that was behind their church. 20:15.125 --> 20:17.501 So, there's this opportunity to transform 20:17.501 --> 20:19.251 this barren lot into something that 20:19.251 --> 20:22.749 creates some real interest in the community. 20:22.749 --> 20:23.749 (thoughtful music) 20:23.749 --> 20:25.376 We worked with them to actually 20:25.376 --> 20:28.749 design and lay out a food forest. 20:28.749 --> 20:30.084 The beds and the plantings were oriented 20:30.084 --> 20:33.084 to keep water on that site, sink it into the ground. 20:33.084 --> 20:37.084 We are using tons of plants that are very adept at 20:37.084 --> 20:39.749 going deep into the soil and breaking up 20:39.749 --> 20:43.376 what decades of compaction and bricks and rocks 20:43.376 --> 20:45.542 and other things that are in the soil. 20:45.542 --> 20:48.167 (thoughtful music) 20:48.167 --> 20:49.917 - What is gonna happen with this food? 20:49.917 --> 20:52.376 Is it going to serve the community? 20:52.376 --> 20:56.376 Is it going to be a revenue stream for the church? 20:56.376 --> 20:57.376 How does this impact you? 20:57.376 --> 20:59.000 - It'll be a combination of the above. 20:59.000 --> 21:01.042 We will definitely eat it ourselves, 21:01.042 --> 21:03.792 as neighbors in the community who are working in the garden. 21:03.792 --> 21:08.459 It'll be used for some of the outreach of the church. 21:08.459 --> 21:10.792 We could sell to restaurants. 21:10.792 --> 21:13.542 Actually the first part of our harvest from the garden 21:13.542 --> 21:16.792 a couple weeks ago got sold over at the Food Co-op. 21:16.792 --> 21:18.417 (thoughtful music) 21:18.417 --> 21:21.917 - The value of having a garden like this in the neighborhood 21:21.917 --> 21:23.792 is that this is technically a food desert, 21:23.792 --> 21:30.000 people don't have access to whole, healthy, organic foods, 21:30.334 --> 21:31.875 and so, I bet a lot of folks, they're probably like, 21:31.875 --> 21:33.125 I've never seen a fig plant. 21:33.125 --> 21:34.749 I probably never have eaten a fresh fig. 21:34.749 --> 21:37.417 This is giving them access to something 21:37.417 --> 21:41.459 they would never have the opportunity to access otherwise. 21:41.459 --> 21:42.209 - Absolutely. 21:42.209 --> 21:44.376 And, it just gets you connected. 21:44.376 --> 21:46.042 When you're picking weeds in the garden, 21:46.042 --> 21:47.959 or you're picking vegetables in the garden 21:47.959 --> 21:50.959 or out here in the orchard, you just talk together. 21:50.959 --> 21:52.584 That creates community. 21:52.584 --> 21:55.750 (thoughtful music) 21:58.292 --> 22:01.584 - I've lived in North St. Louis my whole life. 22:01.584 --> 22:04.749 At one time, North St. Louis was booming. 22:04.749 --> 22:06.334 We had everything. 22:06.334 --> 22:08.917 Then, all of a sudden, nothing. 22:08.917 --> 22:12.292 So, we're really a desert of almost everything, 22:12.292 --> 22:18.417 jobs, grocery stores, furniture stores, really employment. 22:18.792 --> 22:21.292 There's nothing really on the north side. 22:21.292 --> 22:25.749 It's gonna open up again, but it has to take all of us. 22:25.749 --> 22:27.749 I can just as easily leave, 22:27.749 --> 22:29.749 but that's not something I wanna do. 22:29.749 --> 22:32.749 I wanna stay here, I wanna help our community, 22:32.749 --> 22:35.167 I wanna be a part of our community. 22:37.209 --> 22:38.792 People'll come here and they need food, 22:38.792 --> 22:41.709 and Jubilee has food inside the church 22:41.709 --> 22:45.833 which was donated to them, and we give it to the community. 22:46.334 --> 22:49.584 We have this garden which we wanna share with everybody. 22:49.584 --> 22:53.749 Not just Jubilee, but the whole community. 22:53.749 --> 22:56.750 All they have to do is come and ask. 23:01.749 --> 23:04.875 (cheerful music) 23:12.833 --> 23:15.833 - You know, I think that the most powerful moments 23:15.833 --> 23:18.749 that I've had in my life are related to 23:18.749 --> 23:20.833 harvesting food right out of my yard 23:20.833 --> 23:22.749 or out of a neighbor's yard. 23:22.749 --> 23:23.792 Not at some massive farm but 23:23.792 --> 23:28.833 kind of in places that feel Secret Garden-like, or, 23:28.833 --> 23:31.000 where there's just magic happening and you say 23:31.000 --> 23:35.749 I had no idea this existed, I've never seen this plant, 23:35.749 --> 23:37.209 I've never tasted this flavor. 23:37.209 --> 23:40.749 So, I think creating as much of that as possible 23:40.749 --> 23:42.542 was what I really sought to design 23:42.542 --> 23:45.542 and what we're still working towards here. 23:46.584 --> 23:49.749 Foodscaping and permaculture in ecological farming 23:49.749 --> 23:53.749 can be of great impact to people on the planet. 23:55.209 --> 23:56.959 We have all these different mechanisms 23:56.959 --> 24:00.042 to try to get people inspired and flip the switch 24:00.042 --> 24:04.668 and help them see that we're so interconnected with all this 24:04.668 --> 24:07.376 and I think that because we eat three meals a day 24:07.376 --> 24:12.668 and we all get what good food is about, for the most part, 24:12.668 --> 24:16.209 then, using food as a tool to create 24:16.209 --> 24:17.167 those light bulb moments 24:17.167 --> 24:19.875 is absolutely what this is all about. 24:20.292 --> 24:22.668 There's so many really inspiring things 24:22.668 --> 24:25.251 that are all about regenerative agriculture 24:25.251 --> 24:28.251 and large scale land re-use, 24:28.251 --> 24:30.749 and changing the food system completely, 24:30.749 --> 24:32.668 and that, of course, needs to happen, 24:32.668 --> 24:36.292 but I think it can maybe most effectively happen 24:36.292 --> 24:37.875 in our back yards. 24:37.875 --> 24:41.000 (cheerful music) 24:43.542 --> 24:46.750 - From the orchard here at Jubilee Community Church, 24:46.750 --> 24:48.417 to the chef's garden at Vicia, 24:48.417 --> 24:51.749 Matt's foodscapes are weaving urban agriculture 24:51.749 --> 24:53.292 into the St. Louis landscape. 24:53.292 --> 24:55.668 For more information on custom foodscaping 24:55.668 --> 24:57.167 as well as all of the other incredible makers 24:57.167 --> 25:01.584 we cover in this series, just head to WeAreTasteMakers.com. 25:01.584 --> 25:03.626 Thanks for joining me here in St. Louis, 25:03.626 --> 25:05.749 and I will see you next time. 25:07.792 --> 25:11.376 Connect with us online at WeAreTasteMakers.com, 25:11.376 --> 25:14.376 or through social media on these handles. 25:14.376 --> 25:17.668 (cheerful music) 26:04.749 --> 26:07.626 - [Narrator] Taste Makers was funded in part by: 26:07.626 --> 26:10.792 (thoughtful music) 26:13.792 --> 26:14.917 - [Announcer] It all comes down 26:14.917 --> 26:17.668 to creating something unique. 26:18.542 --> 26:21.792 It's important to take pride in one's work, 26:21.792 --> 26:24.042 and share expertise. 26:28.000 --> 26:31.749 Edward Jones is proud to support the craftspeople 26:31.749 --> 26:34.167 who define the maker movement.