"The whole back
area was a trash
pit. The weeds
were taller than we
were."
development director, had the seeds of
an idea. She approached chef Ken Frank,
owner of Michelin-starred La Toque, and
suggested that he recruit local restaurants
to form a cooperative and farm the site.
Several restaurants seized the opportunity,
and after U.S. Bankruptcy Court cleared up
issues related to the title, the co-op's members signed an agreement. In March 2010,
they started to restore the garden, and the
first harvest followed that fall.
"One of the most successful things about
Copia was the garden. The community really embraced it. It was a beautiful garden,"
says Frank, adding that Copia spared no
expense, putting in water, irrigation lines
and even a large outdoor kitchen. By the
time the restaurants took over the site,
however, "The whole back area was a trash
pit," he says. "The weeds were taller than
we were." The co-op added soil and compost and used a little tractor to clean up the
area, and now, he says, "The gardens look
pretty tidy. The more you put into them,
the more you get out of them."
Nine restaurants—Ca' Momi Enoteca,
Carpe Diem Wine Bar, Fish Story, Hog
Island Oysters, Kitchen Door, La Toque,
Oenotri, The Thomas & Fagiani's Bar and
Zuzu—are the co-op's members, and each
is within walking distance of the garden.
They all agree to maintain a plot that is
organic and neat, do their own work and
carry insurance. The owner of the property
is the bondholder, ACA Financial Guaranty
Corporation in New York, and Frank says
that although the company will probably
sell the property eventually, it does not
have any immediate plans to put it on the
market, so the garden is secure for the moFALL 2013 • FLOURISH
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