GOLDFOLK: Why is locally-sourced organic produce so essential to the mission and origin story of Heartwood Eatery?
Heartwood Eatery: Our local farmers have a deep integrity, and that inspires us to operate our business with the same nurturing gratitude to our workers and diners that a farmer might to their crops. Many people want to eat local and support the organic farmers in our area, so we created Heartwood as a place where the community could gather and do just that.
Scott Weidert created Heartwood Eatery in 2017 with the vision that healthy food is a gift worth sharing, not just benefiting our individual health—mind, body, and soul—but the health of our community overall.
Shortly after its inception, General manager, Tony Perez-Capenter, joined Heartwood and has led the team with his community-oriented vision. He often reminds us, “There are so many reasons to love local farms, from the economy they support to the jobs they create – lessons from the Earth can help us grow in so many ways.”
GOLDFOLK: When you consider the seasonality of produce, how does that affect your belief in the nutritional components of your menu?
Heartwood Eatery: Seasonal produce provides heaps of nutrition, right when your body needs it most. Vitamin C from the winter citrus fruits fortify your immune system. Watermelon and cucumbers cool your body in the summer. Nutrition is a priority for many of us, as are organic ingredients and healthy fats like Ghee and Olive Oil, all of which are used and prioritized in our food. When veggies are grown organically and picked fresh, they are vibrantly alive with essential vitamins and minerals, and our bodies love it.
GOLDFOLK: Share some of the differences between cooking with locally-sourced organic produce from our region and the alternative – typically large, inorganic agricultural productions, picked-early, and transported long distances.
Heartwood Eatery: Health and flavor are huge factors. With locally grown, organic food the flavor and nutrient profile is richer than food that’s picked long before it’s ripe and grown conventionally. Also, farmers are kind of like rock stars in our town. There is no denying the absolute joy when you see a farmer delivering their own veggies, straight from the farm. Working directly with farmers also means we can specify how we want the produce grown, cut, packed, and planned out for the following year. Through winter and early spring, we are required to expand our purchasing outside of the area, but we lean into local growers like Super Tuber Farms, for their fantastic carrots, beets and cabbage.
“The farmers are rooted in what the natives who lived here knew and honored before the gold mining industry came to be. They understood the key to the health of a community is having a connection to the land.”
GOLDFOLK: When you consider the impact of farming in Nevada County, and the great resource the organic farms are to our community, how does Heartwood Eatery play a role in this resource long-term?
Heartwood Eatery: The farmers are rooted in what the natives who lived here knew and honored before the gold mining industry came to be. They understood the key to the health of a community is having a connection to the land, and the abundance it provides. At Heartwood, we view our role as a steward of this belief and practice by sourcing the majority of our food from local farms, supporting Nevada Country organic growers and land purveyors, and donating a portion of proceeds from our top-selling Heartwood Bowl to the Nisenan Tribe.
GOLDFOLK: Our contributing farm for September is Mountain Bounty. What is currently on your menu from their farm that readers can enjoy?
Heartwood Eatery: Mountain Bounty is a local leader in organic farming and has a beautiful array of produce year round. Right now, we’re buying their incredible shishito peppers, picked at their prime, for our late summer special at the Heartwood Annex – a Chili Lime Shishito plate. It has a light gochujang oil drizzle making them both beautiful and delicious!
Heartwood Eatery
239 Commercial Street
Nevada City, California 95959
(530) 470-6161
