You are what you eat. That’s as true for humans as it is for plants and animals. From soil to feed, quality makes a difference in the product that ends up on the plate and how we feel after we eat.

“It’s a karmic thing. People feel the food. They feel satisfaction from the meal … from the energy and love that a chef puts into it,” says Kerry Clasby, founder of Intuitive Forager.

Her company brings some of the country’s best produce to local residents and chefs through weekly farmers markets Downtown. She and others in Las Vegas’ culinary ecosystem are part of the farm to table movement, in which consumers are getting more curious and conscious about the practices of growing food.

And when you start to take a look at the status quo, you might want to get curious, too. Over the past 100 years or so, industrialized agriculture in America has taken the nurturing and joy out of farming and replaced it with a lot of shortcuts—specialization and consolidation, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, antibiotics and hormones and prolonged transportation and storage of food. The end result is a lot of bland, nutrient-deficient, maybe even toxic food in the mix—especially in Las Vegas, where most food is imported from distances greater than 500 miles away. 

“After World War 2, we began building super highways. And then, farming became super farms where they used chemicals and mechanized planting, did very little crop rotation, very little cover crop, very little organics,” Clasby says. “We don’t want that. It’s a very hopeful future for our country, but we have to change the food system.”

Clasby owns a 16-acre farm in Malibu, California, “organic since 1954,” and is a purveyor for “150 farms up and down the coast” that meet her high standards for growing delicious, nutritious food (more on those standards later). Every Friday and Saturday, her farmers market pops up next to the Plaza in Downtown Las Vegas, providing a point of connection for farmers, consumers and many local chefs. 

Nicole Brisson frequents the market to find unique ingredients for her menus. The native of upstate New York grew up on 14 acres where her family grew “everything you can imagine.” From a young age, she learned about the natural cycles of food, seasonality and how to preserve fresh food to last through the winter. She carries that experience into her role as executive chef at the Italian-inspired Brezza and Bar Zazu at Resorts World. 

“I go to Italy pretty much once a year. And when you actually watch an oil pressing, you see an olive is a living, breathing thing. There’s a reason why they pick the olives and process them all throughout the night, because it’s going to start degrading almost immediately after it’s picked from the tree,” Brisson says. “You see the practices that have been done for hundreds of years, and the care. In America, the practices are just a lot faster. Everything goes to slaughter faster. We’re turning crops quicker and working with a lot of nutrient-deficient soil.”

Working in one of the world’s top dining destinations, Brisson, other chefs and restaurants and even entire resorts will settle for nothing less than the best ingredients out there—and they’ll pay extra. But farm to table isn’t just for industry professionals or people who can afford to spend an arm and a leg on food. It’s for anybody willing to put a little extra thought and work into where they get their food, and they can get so much in return. 

BACK AT THE FARM 

Herbs by Diane produces leafy greens, microgreens, other fresh produce and more than 40 kinds of herbs for several local restaurants, including Harvest at Bellagio and Brezza. Owner Diane Greene says there are a few important ingredients to growing good food—knowledge, passion and healthy soil. 

“I’ve always gardened. My mom gardened. My grandmother gardened. And so I would garden to feed the family,” says Greene, who moved to Boulder City from Santa Monica in 1968. “Mostly, it’s giving the plants lots of good compost. Things taste better and last longer. You know what you’re eating.” 

Her two-acre garden in Boulder City is partially covered with fencing to keep squirrels, birds, snakes and rabbits away from goodies like lettuce, arugula, Swiss chard, kale and cutting celery.

On a Saturday morning, picking Petit Red-Veined Sorrel and edible flowers, sunlight illuminates leaves, flowers and darkly colored soil. The energy they contain is palpable.

With growth, there is also decay that in turn fuels more growth. Toward the back of her property, Greene creates and maintains mounds of compost to feed the soil—which is very dry, rocky and not conducive to many living things here in the Mojave Desert. 

“We have great big compost piles that we add everything to—except weeds—like the fennel I’m harvesting today. I pull the roots out and put the roots in there, add chicken manure and get it heated up and cooking. By adding lots of compost in, you can grow healthier plants,” Greene explains. 

Two things you won’t find in her garden: commercial fertilizer or pesticides. “We squish our bugs,” she says. 

Greene’s business largely delivers to restaurants in Boulder City and Las Vegas. Her products are available for anyone to order online, and she can also be found at the Fresh52 farmers market in Henderson. (See page 23 for a list of local farmers markets.) What drives her is not profits, but relationships with customers and the satisfaction of providing tasty and nourishing products.

“This definitely isn’t a money-earning business. It’s hard to do,” Greene says. “You have to be dedicated. … I’m not doing it for the dollar. I’m doing it because I love it. And I like going to the markets and building relationships with people who come to me for what to feed their family.”

FRESH TAKE ON FOOD

For those who want to venture beyond the nearest chain grocery store and start buying directly from farmers, Clasby has some advice.

“When you talk to your farmer, the two questions really are, how do you handle weeds, and how do you handle pests,” Clasby says. “They started using chemicals in the ’50s, so we weren’t really aware of it. That’s why I think the consciousness of this is so important.”

She describes the widespread use of DDT through the 1970s and the currently widely used herbicide glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) as “the worst scourge to happen to our food supply.”

There are alternatives, Clasby says. And she’s speaking from the perspective of someone who routinely deals with weeds and pests on her own farm in Malibu. 

“If you’re growing prolifically, the weeds and pests grow prolifically too. And there are farmers who are happy to tell you about how they deal with them. For certain pests, we have a white wasp that helps with the tomato bug. We have ladybugs. We inoculate the soil with beneficial insects that eat funguses and prevent them from thriving,” Clasby says. 

Once you’ve verified the food was grown chemical free, a third question for your farmer should be, when was it harvested. The answer will give some clues as to how the food tastes—fresher equals more flavor— and how nutritious it is. 

Clasby and scientists use the term “bioavailability” to talk about how many food nutrients are actually absorbed in the body. Apparently, fresher food also equals more nutrients.

“It is very important for us to have live food—food that is eaten as close as possible to the time of picking. That’s what makes it a non-inflammatory product. … And old food creates inflammation,” she says. “We go right to the farm, or pick it on our farm, and it goes directly to the market the next morning.” 

Clasby can “go deep” on what freshness means for nutrition. Having lost both of her parents to “preventable” chronic diseases, she believes in the healing power of food. That’s why she cares so much about the practices that go into growing the food, and brings it to the masses through her market. 

Clasby says it wasn’t easy opening a farmers market Downtown, which is a food desert, an area where residents don’t have access to the food they need to lead a healthy lifestyle. But she knew it was needed. She accepts funds from SNAP (the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly known as food stamps) to make her products more accessible to low-income shoppers. She believes farm fresh food and the benefits should be accessible to all. 

“There’s a magic to doing things from scratch. There’s a magic from following your intuition. It guides and can heal you. And that’s going to be a great aid in dealing with the poisons of the world, and having joy,” Clasby says. 

MAKING THE MAGIC HAPPEN

Somewhere between farm and table, there’s a chef or, as Clasby may describe them, an alchemist who transforms raw ingredients into something truly magical and unique. The best chefs seek out the best ingredients they can find and afford. 

But not everyone starts from a place of awareness of how food is grown or raised. 

“I grew up in a very humble upbringing where most of my food came from a box or a can. I didn’t know fresh ingredients existed outside of that,” says Brian Howard, owner of Sparrow & Wolf in Chinatown. “My love for food came through the art, and seeing how much more there was to food. It came from the first time I had a potato that was freshly dug from the ground, and understanding the sugar content was so different. What I’d been getting for years was a big scam.” 

You can’t make magic out of scam food. But knowing what it is drives a greater appreciation for food grown or raised with care. And for an acclaimed chef like Howard, only the best will do.

“I think it starts with understanding the difference in quality, flavor and taste. Most people don’t understand. They’ve been eating sickly food, to some degree. What’s given to the masses does not have any flavor and, unfortunately, it’s changing the end product,” he says. 

When it comes to sourcing meat and seafood, Howard and his team pay close attention to how the animals are treated, what kind of environment they’re raised in and what they’re fed. They seek out heritage breeds, which are bred outside of industrial farming and are more suited to their natural environment. And they’re careful to not add to the problem of overfishing. Those practices directly affect the quality and taste, and the customer’s eating experience.

“How do you feel after you eat? Do you feel heavy and lethargic after eating a meal? Or do you feel good, springy and ready to go?” Howard says.

Brisson also uses heritage breeds, which are “harder to acquire” and considered more nutritious. Whether it’s plants or animals, she sees the connection between food and health. And that comes from personal experience of being diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid and requires a lot of nutrient-dense food to manage. 

“Fifteen to 17 years ago, in my early days with [B&B Hospitality Group], it was my first trip to all the heritage farms in Kansas City and Arkansas. I had pretty recently been diagnosed with Hashimoto’s disease. … That’s what got me interested in [how] what you put into your body really affects your health,” Brisson says. 

“Being out with the farmers and seeing that it costs them so much more to do it the right way—the effort put into it and putting their families on the line—I think it’s worth the extra money and confidence to stand behind my plate and my product and really know that I’m giving the consumer the best I can.” 

FARM TO THE STRIP

Las Vegas wasn’t always a destination for high-quality food and fine dining. It used to be a land of cheap buffets and chain restaurants. But over the years, the farm to table movement has worked its way up to the Strip, where dining happens on a massive scale.

Last year, Fontainebleau Las Vegas went through 3,000 pounds of oranges to make 5,000 gallons of fresh OJ, 13,000 ducks for the Peking duck served at Chyna Club and Washing Potato, 200 tons of flour in its in-house bakery and 64,000 eggs property-wide. 

How does a resort maintain the quality of food while also dealing with such quantities? Senior vice president of culinary operations Joseph Leibowitz says since Fontainebleau’s opening, he and his team decided to be strategic and intentional about where they get the ingredients for the resort’s portfolio of restaurants.

“We all agreed upon not using big, broadliners across the board for our products. That’s where we decided to build relationships with farmers. We’re going to spend a little bit more knowing that the product is going to speak for itself,” Leibowitz says. 

Clasby has been helpful with connecting the resort to products from smaller farms, he adds. When it comes to sourcing meat and seafood, Leibowitz often visits the farms to ensure their practices will yield the best possible products. He brings an internal health inspector along to ensure sustainability and quality standards are being met. 

“We look for fisheries that don’t overcrowd their pens, that are free from sea lice and 100% raised without antibiotics or growth hormones, and that the feed given to them is responsibly sourced. There is a lot of leg work back and forth,” he says. 

Leibowitz beams when talking about partnerships with meat purveyors Pat LaFrieda on the East Coast and Cross Creek Ranch in Durango, Colorado. LaFrieda provides Prime beef that is the top 5% of all Prime graded product. And Cross Creek Ranch offers “the closest thing to A5 American Wagyu as American Wagyu can get.” 

“We select the cow from birth and utilize all of it on our menus. We’ll take prime cuts and sell them at Don’s [Prime]. We’ll use the bones to make broth for our Cantonese restaurant. It’s really exclusive and sustainable products here,” Leibowitz says, noting the public appetite for such quality food has increased over the years. 

“Back in the day when I was in the kitchens, it wasn’t as mainstream for multiple types of restaurants to use the creme de la creme of product. … Over time, that definitely has changed. More restaurants understand the importance of a quality ingredient and how it can dynamically change the final presentation on the plate. I think more people today are exposed to it and do appreciate it,” he says.

Support Local Growers

Rose Creek Farm, operated by Lighthouse Charities, is a two-acre organic farm that began as a community garden before becoming a workforce training program for refugees two years ago. Community outreach coordinator Brityn Bennett describes it as a truly pesticide-free, rotating crop farm, offering whatever is freshly growing. It produces vegetables, fruits, flowers and eggs, with fresh eggs sold year-round at the Frosted Bakery. The farm also offers seasonal subscription boxes and hosts farmers markets every fourth Saturday, featuring freshly harvested goods. (lighthousecharities.net/rose-creek-farm) –Gabriela Rodriguez

Since 2020, Desert Moon Mushrooms has been a go-to for high quality fungi. Founded by vegan entrepreneurs EvaSara Luna and Enrique Gonzalez, the farm produces 2,000 pounds of mushrooms each week, including nine varieties like oyster, lion’s mane and coral tooth. Their storefront is open Fridays from 2-7 p.m., or by appointment, and they regularly appear at farmers markets. Customers can enjoy discounts on weekly subscription boxes and can find imperfect mushrooms at a reduced price. The farm is also working toward becoming SNAP EBT eligible. (desertmoonfarms.com) –GR

Cluck It Farm is deepening its roots in the Valley with its subscription-based, community supported agriculture (CSA) program designed to bring neighbors closer to their food. Members select weekly shares of seasonal produce and freshly laid eggs, available in four, six or 10-item boxes, for home delivery ($6 delivery fee) on Thursdays or Fridays. Chemical and preservative-free, the farm recently moved to a larger space and will reopen CSA sign-ups in mid-March, with plans for a future farm store offering flexible, walk-up purchases. (cluckitfarmlv.com) –GR

Based in Boulder City, Herbs by Diane might have officially become a business in 2007, but Diane Greene has been growing organic produce since 1974, and she’s always done it with the community in mind. While herbs are her specialty—and she grows more than 40 varieties—Greene also grows several varieties of microgreens (radish, sunflower and cilantro are just a few) as well as lettuces and seasonal produce. Find her at Henderson’s Fresh52 farmers market, order online, or volunteer in her garden in exchange for fresh goodies. (herbsbydiane.com)

Local Farmers Markets

LAS VEGAS FARMERS MARKET Downtown Summerlin, Saturday 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; The District at Green Valley Ranch, Thursday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; UnCommons, Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (lasvegasfarmersmarket.com)

FRESH 52 FARMERS & ARTISANS MARKET Bruce Trent Park, Wednesday 2-8 p.m.; Solista Park, 1st and 3rd Saturdays 9 a.m.- 1 p.m.; Skye Canyon Park, Thursday 4-8 p.m.; Southern Highlands, 2nd and 4th Saturdays 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; St. Rose Corporate Center, Sunday 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (fresh52.com)

INTUITIVE FORAGER Main Street, Friday 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (intuitiveforagerblog.wordpress.com)

LAS VEGAS/FIRST FRIDAY FARMERS MARKET Goodman Plaza at Las Vegas Civic Center, 2nd and 4th Thursdays 4-8 p.m. (lasvegasnevada.gov)

ROSE CREEK FARMERS MARKET Rose Creek Farm, 2nd and 4th Saturdays 8 a.m.-4 p.m. (lighthousecharities.net)

PREVAIL MARKETPLACE Cornerstone Park, Saturday 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; Montagna Park, Thursday 3-7 p.m.; Tuscan Highlands, 4th Sundays noon-4 p.m. (prevailmarketplacellc.com)

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