8 minute read
From Farm to Fork
You likely don’t think about it very much, but you might be surprised to discover the complex and integrated journey your meals take before reaching breakfast, lunch, and dinner plates. For some Cheshire Academy alumni, that very journey has turned into lifelong and prosperous careers. These farms, breweries, distributors, and restaurants are all helping us get our favorite meals from farm to fork.
THE FARMS
Whether a daily farm, vegetable farm, fish farm, beer brewery, or cattle ranch, the journey to a restaurant has to start at a single destination. These farms and breweries appear in all shapes and sizes and can be found in every corner of the United States. Ultimately, these individuals make it possible for all of us to enjoy the food and drink we love so much.
One of these farms can be found in the heart of Texas. The Nails Ranch, owned by Ronnie Nail ’63, is a working cattle ranch that has been in operation since the 1880s. A long history of operations, the Nail family settled in Albany, Texas and began acquiring other ranching operations in the area. By the beginning of WWI, the area was surrounded by Nailowned ranches and remains the same to this day.
Today, Nail has passed the daily operations to his two sons, Jamie and Buck Nail. The ranch focuses on raising hormone-free, all-natural cows and cafes, which enjoy more than 30,000 acres of unfenced terrain to roam and feed. Eventually, the Nail family sells those cows.
During tough economic or drought periods, the ranch has found alternative means to generate revenue. The ranch also offers a hunting experience for a variety of wildlife, such as deer, hogs, turkeys, ducks, coyotes and more. In addition, a shallow oil field was discovered in the late 20s, which still operates today.
Across the country, two alumni familyowned vegetable and fruit farms have been in operation for almost 100 years each. Both businesses established wholesale distributor and retailer sales channels to get their vegetables and fruits to your tables.
The Arisco Farms, founded in 1922, was taken over by Alex Arisco, the father of Dan Arisco ’07, in 1968 and he continues to run it to this day on 70 acres of land in Cheshire, Connecticut. The farm services both wholesale distributors as well as retail customers offerings a variety vegetables, including tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, eggplant, string beans, squash, cabbage, cucumbers, and more. You can even get a fresh baked pie.
The other family-owned farm with connections to Cheshire Academy is the N. Casertano Greenhouses & Farms, Inc, also in Cheshire, Connecticut. Founded around 1929 by Louis Casertano, the farm focused on produce and greenhouse flowers. From there, Nick Casertano ’59 took over after having received a horticulture degree from Michigan State University. While still having a focus on produce, Nick Casertano helped move the farm to become a prominent brand within the greenhouse industry before handing over the business to his son, John Casertano, who still runs it today.
Once you’re done eating all your vegetables. It’s time for dessert. In Puerto Rico, Juan Carlos Vizcarrondo ’85 is working on just that. Vizcarrondo is the owner of the Loiza Dark plantation. Founded in 2001, the small family-owned farm harvests organic dark chocolate from cacao trees and packages it for distribution. According to the website, “Our product is made from bean to bar, or from tree to tablet, and we use only the finest organic ingredients to create an exquisite artisan chocolate made with love and inspired by nature.”
THE NAIL RANCH
THE DISTRIBUTORS
Some might call them the middle men. Armed with every kind of transportation vehicle known to man, these distributors take the products from the farms to the restaurants each and every day.
One of those distributors is Bozzuto’s Inc., a family-owned company that was founded in 1945 and based in Cheshire, Connecticut. The company is headed by Chairman, President, and CEO Michael A. Bozzuto ’75, who is also an Academy Trustee. The distributor offers a wide variety of foods and household products to retailers across New England, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Everything from beef and poultry to vegetables and fruits can be found as deliverable items in the company’s warehouses, which are located in Cheshire and North Haven, Connecticut, and Allentown, Pennsylvania.
While distributors like Bozzuto offer restaurants and retailers a onestop-shop for food, drink, and more, other smaller distributors are taking a more refined approach. Alumnus Mike Van Haaften ’04 grew up in the world of farms and distributors. His grandmother owned and ran a local farm called Sunny Acres. “I have fond memories of running around, causing trouble there as a child, which fortunately or unfortunately didn’t subside during my time at CA,” said Van Haaften. Also, his grandfather on my father’s side, started J.P. Jarjura & Sons Co., a well-known familyrun wholesale fruit and vegetables distributor serving the Connecticut area. Van Haaften’s time around the businesses rubbed off on him saying, “At Sunny Acres, I learned where the produce originates from but at Jarjura’s I learned where it was going.”
Out of college, Haaften partnered on a new venture in Westport, Connecticut. The roadside market
was an opportunity for locals and retailers to get fresh, handpicked fruits, vegetables, milk, cheese, steaks and much more. Everything at the market was locally sourced from farms in the area. After some time, Haaften and his partners split ways and he focused his efforts elsewhere. “Now I am wholesaling full-time and mostly catering to the Fairfield county area. I go into the Hunt’s Point Produce Terminal in the Bronx to hand pick most of my produce from vendors and when it is seasonal, I utilize local farms in the Cheshire area,” he said. “My customers consist of retailers and restaurants that appreciate quality and service and a personal approach. I am proud to say I am a third generation produce man.”
Another distributor taking a more refined approach to their distribution includes Tomassetti Distributors. For more than 70 years, the company delivered soda and other beverages in the Connecticut area. Though the business sold in 2014 to Northeast Beverage Corp., brothers Tony Tomassetti ’66 and Daniel Tomassetti ran the business after their father passed it down to them. Unfortunately, Daniel Tomassetti, 62, died January 12 shortly after this article was completed from a rare form of cancer. The company kept its vending machine business after the sale and continues it today.
For some patrons, a meal isn’t complete without their favorite wine or beer. That’s where Dichello Distributors comes into play. Owned by John Dichello ’59, the company was originally founded in 1933 and is Connecticut’s largest distributor of alcoholic beverages, one of four Connecticut beverage wholesalers affiliated with Anheuser-Busch. The company also distributes independent craft beers. In 2014, the company won the Ambassador of Excellence award from Anheuser-Busch, recognized as the top-performing wholesaler in the Northeast.
MICHAEL BOZZUTO AND BOZZUTO TRUCK DRIVER, PERRY NEWSOME
- Mike Van Haaften '04
THE RESTAURANTS
Once the products are in the hands of the distributor, restaurants then pick and choose the items they want which make up their menus. This is the last stop for these vegetables, fruits, meat, beer, and more. These restaurants are then tasked with creating the magic of turning single items sourced from around the country into the meals you love most.
One of those restaurateurs is Dave Sherman ’91. His restaurant, CafeCito, is quickly becoming a big hit in the Baltimore, Maryland area. He was even recently featured in Style Magazine, which spotlighted his famous “drippy egg sandwich.” Sherman went to school at The Culinary Institute of America and was recently named Best Owner by Baltimore Magazine. A more detailed description of CafeCito can be found in the “Bars and Breweries” article.
A bit closer to the Academy, Gusto Trattoria serves up traditional Italian fare in Milford, Connecticut. Riccardo Mavuil, the father of current student Giuseppe Mavuli '19, is owner and chef. The family run restaurant is open for lunch and dinner as well as private parties serving up a variety of favorites, including Pasta Bolognese, Potato Gnocchis, Chicken Parmigiana, and New York Strip.
Not all restaurateurs are in the kitchen or managing the day to day operations; for some, like Howard Greenstone, they are founders, co-founders, and investors. Greenstone, Academy Trustee member and the father of Academy alumnus Josh Greenstone ’12, is the co-founder of Waxstone Group with well-known chef and restaurateur Jonathan Waxman. Greenstone and Waxman currently have several restaurants in operation including two in Nashville, one in Atlanta, and one in San Francisco.
Beginning his career at the Grand Hyatt in New York and Hyatt Regency in Greenwich, Connecticut, Greenstone worked his way up the ranks eventually being Vice President of Dry Dock Restaurants and Director of Operations of Sfuzzi restaurants in 10 states. Later, he would become the President and CEO of Rosa Mexicano restaurants helping the group with growth and launching its first commercial product like, RM Kitchen.
Another alumnus working behind the scenes as an investor includes Trustee Don Rosenberg ’67, whose father, William Rosenberg, was the inventor of the “Food Truck,” which delivered meals to construction sites. William Rosenberg was also the founder of the iconic national brand Dunkin Donuts. Today, Rosenberg is the owner of Lexx Restaurant in Lexington, Massachusetts with Co-Owner and Managing Partner Chris Bateman. Before Lexx, Rosenberg operated Aesops’s Bagels from the same location, but shifted his focus thinking that the area needed an upscale casual restaurant that served cocktails and craft beer. A recent review of Lexx by The Boston Globe noted: “Wholesome food is the concept of this resolutely American menu, Lexx does classics right. It’s what you want in a neighborhood place- A friendly greeting, good food and a sense of belonging … dining virtuously and well.”
From vegetables and fruit to steak and beer, we all enjoy sitting down at the breakfast, lunch, or dinner table and enjoying our favorites meals. So join us in thanking the individuals, especially Cheshire Academy families and alumni, who tirelessly work to get those meals from farm to fork.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMS RESTAURANT
