Founded in 2020, Trosi Farms is the labor of love of forager, Will Nikkel, and supplier of produce to all ERHG restaurants. At Trosi, their goal is to generate a net-positive impact on the ecosystem with regenerative farming and by cultivating a symbiotic relationship between restaurants, food, and the land.
Trosi Farms: A LABOR OF LOVE
It won't be long into a conversation with Will Nikkel until he starts to share a technical tid bit about the nuances of regenerative farming. While I may not be able to fully grasp exactly what the ramifications of the biochar program behind the farm is, I can always grasp the passion and dedication that this man has for the land. We have been lucky to work with incredibly talented people over the past nine years, and Will is definitely one of them.
The relationship started with Will as a forager. Will would come into Emmer & Rye with a basket of something and Kevin would light up like a kid at his birthday. Not native Texans, the wild food that Will collected was new to us:
Mustang grapes, Yaupon tea, loquats, monks pepper, wild onion, sotol, the list goes on.
These ingredients were like puzzle pieces in the kitchen. Flavors that you never knew you needed and suddenly couldn’t imagine a menu without. These observations from a forager were gifts - a lesson on Texas ecosystems and their parabolic nature that became a foundational element for us at Emmer and Rye.
Into the Wild
Foraging in Texas is a bit different than in other states because so much of the land is private.
The knowledge of foraging is not new but it has been forgotten. It involves developing relationships with land owners and requesting access to the bounty. Some land owners know exactly about the delicacies that are being collected and others are shocked and curious by the request.
Whether known or unknown, the secret with wild foods is to ensure that you don’t overpick. For the plant to reproduce for the next person, some has to be left behind.
"It is an act of trust, magic and faith to ever believe a seed will become a plant capable of helping feed us."
-Will Nikkel
Forging a Path Forward
On one of these door-knocking visits to a land owner, Will received another idea. How would he like to farm the land he was collecting on? It was an incredible opportunity. Now Will can demonstrate his vision of regenerative agriculture in Texas. One which encompasses soil life, ancient ecology, wild plants and is organic by method management of pests and disease. This is no small task, but it's how Trosi Farms was born.
Trosi Farm was a pandemic baby and honestly, I can't imagine how it could have happened any other way. Our team was scared and restless at home during COVID and suddenly we had a way for them to be outside and help turn this land into farm land. Several of our chef team found themselves digging fence posts, moving wheel barrels of compost and clearing land to make way for beds. It was not only an escape but an opportunity to create something beautiful in a scary time.
When it came time to plant, the chef team and Will would look through seed catalogs like a group of kids at a Scholastic book fair: "Wow, what do you think buzz button flowers taste like?” “I love Giant trombecino squash, do you think they will grow here?”
Every season, items are requested and planted, and menus are created but it is Mother Nature who decides if the plans will come to fruition. Sometimes there are hundreds of pounds of peppers that need a home and the chef team is busy creating hot sauce or dehydrating peppers to save for the winter months. Other times a frost takes all the broccoli and dishes are 86’ed suddenly. This is the core mission of Trosi, fostering a cohesive understanding between restaurants and farms, telling the story of the land, taking responsibility for waste and doing our best to provide produce we can take pride in using.
"Growing food is a living history and a culmination of human thought and action for the betterment of all."
Bringing the Harvest to Others
As the farm grows and the yields improve, so does the need for outlets. Not only does Trosi provide beautiful produce for the ERHG restaurants but you can also find produce for your home at Pullman Market in San Antonio. This upcoming year, Trosi will also provide vegetables for the local school district and to other restaurants through the service Farm to Table. Each season we learn a bit more and the farm adjusts to that knowledge.
Trosi is a unique space that has taught us a lot about Texas. Much like the restaurant industry, most small organic farms close within the first 5 years. Farming is a project of passion and grit. Will has poured so much of himself into developing produce that is simply delicious. A lofty pursuit when there are many variables that can stack against you.
One thing is for sure, while restaurants are hard….farming is next level. So next time you eat that delicious bite at one of our spaces, send up a little gratitude to all the amazing Texas Farmers. We couldn’t be us, without them.
Farming is Alchemy. Except the gold is life.
"I don’t create anything. Matter cannot be created or destroyed. I guide elements themselves into patterns of life which can enrich. Channeling light, water, seed, time, nutrients and intention into something which is beyond imagination. It is an act of trust, magic and faith to ever believe a seed will become a plant capable of helping feed us. Replete with the palate of flavors hidden within the raw matter of soil. Growing food is a living history and a culmination of human thought and action for the betterment of all." -Will Nikkel, forager and farmer