CleverRoot

1 4 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t MEET YOUR MAKERS Introducing the people across the country behind the food we love to eat by Kate Newton Michael Vasey President of Lindauer River Ranch in Red Bluff, CA MICHAEL VASEY AND his wife, Hillary, became third-generation prune growers when they took over her family's farm in Red Bluff, California, eight years ago—inheriting a legacy 85 years in the mak- ing. Transitioning from two decades in the corpo- rate world to the farming lifestyle was no easy feat, but Vasey worked hard to reassure his employees that the farm's collaborative culture would remain unchanged. "I think it was actually a benefit that I didn't know much about farming, because I see my job as tapping into those people and really respect- ing their experience and knowledge," Vasey says. Lindauer River Ranch and its 400-acre crop of prunes—Vasey says they handpick more than 50,000 trees each year—joined the Sunsweet Growers cooperative about five years ago after previously selling to various buyers. The transi- tion made financial sense, but Vasey was also drawn to Sunsweet's reputation and high food- safety standards. "Our core competency is grow- ing large, quality prunes, and Sunsweet wanted those," Vasey says. Consistency is also key: Lindauer's prunes are dried in a tunnel with natural gas for about 18 hours to control the dehydration process as much as possible. Because prunes are incredibly time- and labor-intensive, Vasey says they also began growing walnuts when he took over the farm in an effort to diversify. The walnuts are sold in-shell to C.R. Crain and Sons, a nearby producer that exports them internationally. While each year ushers in many uncertainties in the farming business, Vasey says it's a small price to pay in exchange for the time he's been able to spend with his wife and kids in the years since. "It's something that brings the family together," he adds. "You always have something to talk about!" Jami Curl Owner/Founder of QUIN Candy in Portland, OR WHEN QUIN OWNER Jami Curl started making her own candy in 2013, she was simply trying to "bust through boredom" while working as a bakery owner in Portland. "It became this product line I didn't set out intentionally to create, but I kept going and things kept working," Curl says. If "working" translates to shout-outs from MarketWatch and the Seattle Times, a well-reviewed cookbook, and more than 10,000 followers on Instagram, Curl's all-natural approach that eliminates the additives and preservatives fa- vored by "Big Candy" is working, indeed. In addition to its 160-square-foot retail store in downtown Portland, QUIN accepts online orders and sells its candy creations to roughly 250 retailers nationwide. Curl and her team make and wrap the candy entirely by hand with a tre- mendous attention to detail—sometimes at their own expense. "It's a labor of love, and it's very tedious," Curl says with a laugh. "But we just make candy the way we know it needs to be made to be as good as it can possibly be." To make QUIN's popcorn caramels, for example, freshly-popped popcorn goes into a Robot Coupe and is "spun into a dust" before it's smothered in hot cream. After that sits, the popcorn is strained out, leaving behind the popcorn-flavored cream used to make the caramel. QUIN's most successful product has always been its "Dreams Come Chew" treats; they could be summarized as QUIN's riff on Starbursts, but their soft texture and mouthwateringly fruity flavors reveal a personal touch no grocery- store candy could match. "I didn't want QUIN to be derivative of anything, so I really worked hard to not look at anything any handmade candymaker was doing so that what we came up with was just 'us,'" Curl says. For more, visit quincandy.com. ■cr PHOTO: TRICIA JUANITAS PHOTO COURTESY OF QUIN CANDY

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