White Rabbit Acres Farm
Vero Beach, Florida
Fresh, organic turmeric right from the farm.
Last summer, in the most eastern US town named Eastport, Maine, during a beautiful warm and dry month of July, when the tide was low, Jeremy and I harvested a bucket of clams. We rented a little place right next to the Atlantic Ocean on top of a hill, and we walked to the harbor every time we wanted to dig up some clams.
Once harvested, we would fill our bucket of clams with water from the Ocean, since clams would not live without salt water . When kept overnight in the water, clams would spit out the excess of trapped sand. After 24 hours they would be clean enough to cook and eat. We climbed our way up the hill to get to our little house.
Going up that steep hill was challenging, the bucket got heavier with each step we took so Jeremy and I took turns up until we reached our destination. One day, we were doing this task when a pickup truck stopped on their way by us, up the hill. From inside we heard a voice “ Hop on in!” We saw a younger middle-aged couple smiling at us, willing to help. The invitation was accepted immediately and we both hopped in the back of their pickup truck.
They dropped us off at the top of the hill and we introduced ourselves. Brian and Valerie Quant, turmeric farmers from Florida, as we found out, were trying to find a hotel to stay and they were driving around. We told them a little bit about the area and how to dig clams. They were pleasantly intrigued about the process.
A day later we got a note at the door from Valerie and Brian inviting us to join them for dinner. They took our advice on digging clams and had a surplus from that days catch. They invited us to come to their hotel, which was walking distance, to share their harvest. We had received the note a little late in the so we missed dinner but we grabbed a bottle of wine and off we went. Brian and Valerie invited us inside where we enjoyed a glass of wine with conversation. It was so interesting to find out about turmeric farming and all the work that goes into it. Turmeric is used in Middle Eastern cuisine and it is known for its medicinal benefits of having an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effect in helping with many health problems like arthritis, gastro-intestinal problems, cancer and so forth. I have seen turmeric in the stores but never knew that it was also grown in the States.
Their organic turmeric farm is based in Florida, with a second location in Virginia. They are promoters of healthy lifestyle and nutritional organic food. Both of them looked so young, fresh, and agile. Brian has that Clark Kent look with lots of good jokes in store and Valerie, with the most beautiful, photogenic smile, is an Iron Man race achiever and in admirable great shape. Before we parted ways, we promised to stay in touch. Brian and Valerie invited us both to their turmeric farm and we promised we will visit one day.
Five months later, Jeremy and I were grateful to have the chance to meet that promise. In the evening of a cool January day of 2021, we have arrived to White Rabbit Acres Farm, Brian and Valerie’s turmeric farm. The farm was named by their daughter Danielle, who raised white rabbits in the past.
Valerie and Brian hosted us with dinner and their cockatoo parrot, Bijou (which means piece of jewelry in French), who said “Hello” every time she wanted some food from us. Bijou, a very sweet cockatoo, would raise her wing and let you pet her little warm thigh. She would twist her head different ways and examine you hard. A very good entertainer for the evening, making loud noises sometimes that sounded like a child chasing his toys running throughout the house. Bijou did not know how to fly and would use her beak to go up and down her cage.
The next day we woke up early and headed to work to help process the turmeric. It turns out that the farm got a big order that needed to be delivered to a Whole Foods distributor and we had to process a lot of turmeric. After a short intro and training, Jeremy and I, with three more of their employees David, Carlos, and Karen were all full hands on preparing the turmeric bright and early.
The process involved the separation of the turmeric in different categories, number ones, for the big order, the mothers, ready to plant the next crop, and number twos, used for juicing.
David and Brian separated the turmeric, Valerie, Jeremy, and I washed it and sorted it out. Once it as sorted, we would place it in the back of the house on racks to dry overnight. Karen and Carlos had the task of snipping the whisks from the turmeric roots. Turmeric roots has a lots of whisks and they would pick one by one and clean them up. For the next three days all of us were heavily involved in processing turmeric in a repeating pattern, separate, wash, sort, dry, and snip. Multiple crates of golden, fresh turmeric were rising up in the drying racks, the result of hard work.
While the turmeric finished its drying process, we prepared 288 boxes, 15 pounds each, and filled them all with number ones (Grade A) turmeric for Friday's shipment. It was golden, beautiful, bright orange, turmeric. Brian and Jeremy build two wood boxes on palates and on Friday morning all of us loaded them in Brian’s truck.
It was such a great experience to be involved in preparing the turmeric for the market, to know where the food comes from and what it takes to be ready for the grocery stores and then your table.
Aside from the turmeric, The White Rabbit Acres farm also has organic produce and they are raising more than twenty cows. Beds of colorful lettuce and fresh arugula were enchanting our eyes as we walked through the green house. Nasturtium flowers, grown there as well, brightened our dinner salads in the evening after work.
The cows would come in the morning from their pasture to drink water and say hello. As I was taking pictures of them, they were sniffing me curiously, waiting for ear scratches. Their wet noses looked like they were embedded with a layer of little droplets of dew.
Brian delivered the turmeric on time and we couldn’t have been happier. Rich with two more friends and knowledge, we parted ways on Friday morning after finishing loading the truck.
I am still thinking about them, their farm, their wisdom about food and nutrition, and their love for the land and planet. They are both a beautiful example to us, reminding to stay in touch with nature and preserve the land.
In case you are intrigued by their turmeric an its healing properties, you can fid it here.
