Cornell Chronicle, CALS News [2018-02-27]
Cornell plant breeder Michael Mazourek, Ph.D. ’08, noted chef Dan Barber and seed producer Matthew Goldfarb have launched a new vegetable seed company and catalog. The freshly minted Row 7 Seed Co. offers seeds that can turn a container garden or backyard plot into a summer vegetable bounty any foodie will crave.
“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned working with breeders is that there’s a huge link between flavor and nutrition, and the craziest part is that no one talks about it. Flavor and aroma compounds – the same ones that make tomatoes and melons mouthwatering – often derive from essential nutrients. It’s nature’s way of telling us what we should be eating,” said Barber, of Blue Hill, a farm-to-table restaurant in New York City, who frequently collaborates with Mazourek.
“Similar to how the farm-to-table movement increased public awareness around the provenance of ingredients, with Row 7 we want to shift the culture around food to drive people toward more flavorful ingredients and define nutrition in terms of diets, not single ingredients,” he said.
More coverage:
- New York Times: Seeds Only a Plant Breeder Could Love, Until Now
- Grub Street: You Can Now Buy the Seeds for Dan Barber’s Bespoke Vegetables
- Eater: Chef Dan Barber’s New Plan to Grow Gourmet Vegetables at Scale
- Row 7 Seed Co. website