 by Anne Dailey Issue 41 (June/July 08) [Copyright © 2008, The Valley Table] Erik Johansen grew up in Orange County. So did Alan Ochs. Each went away to get an education (Erik's in culinary skills, Alan's in agriculture); both came back to run a business, though Johansen's return took a bit longer. Johansen is the chef and owner of Iron Forge Inn, a comfortable restaurant housed in an old farmhouse in Bellvale, near Warwick. Just a few miles up the road, Alan Ochs runs Ochs Orchard, a third-generation pick-your-own operation and farmstand. Over the years, the two men have developed a successful working relationship, distilled down to its essence by Ochs--"We grow it and he buys it." Since Johansen took over the reins at Iron Forge Inn 10 years ago, he's been buying from Ochs, but the connection runs deeper. "I've been going there since I was a little kid," says Johansen. "It was Alan's dad running the place then, and I can remember my mom bringing us up their long driveway in our big old truck." Today, Johansen travels the same long driveway weekly, in turn picking up apples, berries, peaches and vegetables to use in the restaurant. The ease of the relationship is a large part of its success. "As soon as they have the first of their produce in the spring and early summer, we're buying from them, and using whatever they have," he says. "It's so easy for me to go with the season when I'm working with Alan." Ochs concurs. "Erik knows what he wants, and he buys whatever is local and in season. And he knows what he's doing--he recognizes that this product is fresher, tastier, and that it hasn't been on a truck for 2,000 miles." In the 1930s, when Alan's grandfather bought the business, Ochs Orchard was exclusively in the wholesale apple market, but Alan's father, and now Alan himself, have been gradually converting it to retail and pick-your-own. On land that once was home to apple trees, Ochs now grows apples, peaches, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and dozens of varieties of vegetables. At Iron Forge Inn, Johansen makes use of all of it. His menu is peppered with items from local farms, always at least one from Ochs, and often several. "Going to the farm, getting to meet the farmer and building the personal relationships is so important," Johansen says. His customers are grateful, too. "People love to hear that I picked up the apples this morning, or that the lettuce was still in the field yesterday," he says. "It's putting a story behind the food, making it a little more real." It's also about flexibility, understanding the quirks and requirements of each other's business, and being willing to take that extra step. "Sometimes I'll grow something specific for him," says Ochs. "I'll ask him if he wants something on the menu, and he'll try it. I can't do that with a dozen things because he's not going to buy all of it, but we talk about what works, and what doesn't work. Erik has a passion, just as I do," Ochs concludes. "We both want the product to be as good as it can be, and we don't take shortcuts." To avoid struggling with delivery, Johansen picks up produce each week himself, despite the extra time that takes. "It's so easy to go the Sysco route," he notes, "But if you just get into the routine of making a little route for yourself, it becomes part of your habit. Of course, it's a beautiful route, so I love taking the drive up there--and I make sure I enjoy some of the produce on the way back down." The relationship is continually evolving and growing, as evidenced by Ochs' musings at the end of a recent conversation. "He buys a bushel of butternut squash every week in season. I can't sell to any homeowner the way I can sell it to him; they just don't know what to do with it. But I give it to Erik, and he makes it taste good. Maybe he could do some kind of cooking demonstration here when we're open, show people what to do, maybe he'd share a recipe. We ought to have him stop over one weekend." Iron Forge Inn, 38 Iron Forge Road, Bellvale (845) 986-3411 Ochs Orchard, 4 Ochs Lane, Warwick (845) 986-1591 |
