Aug. 6, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Vanguard Hospitality.

On a salad, lettuce can make all the difference.

And there’s nothing quite the same as leafy greens that have been locally grown.

Just ask Earl Giesbrecht, whose family owns Giesbrecht Gardens in Pipestone County, Minnesota.

He’s a welder by trade who balances running his own shop along with the family’s greenhouse and nearly 3-acre raspberry patch.

They started growing lettuce early last year.

“We’re learning more and more about growing lettuce,” Giesbrecht said. “And the biggest thing is trying to find markets. For a while we had plenty, then it tapered off, so it’s been kind of a yo-yo.”

He definitely found a market in Minervas, though.

When the downtown Sioux Falls restaurant brought back an enhanced version of its popular Market Bar this year, local lettuce was on garde manger Jordan Klein’s list. His role involves curating the Market Bar with a focus on local items.

Through the Dakota Fresh Food Hub, he connected with Giesbrecht.

“We incorporate his hydroponic romaine lettuce with a fresh Roma blend to give a unique salad blend for customers,” Klein said.

“I love his product. It’s some of the best romaine I’ve ever seen other than from my own garden. It’s far better than what we get elsewhere.”

If Giesbrecht could produce enough, “I’d switch to his lettuce large scale,” Klein said. “For now, you can taste it on the Market Bar, but if a customer requested it in a Caesar salad, that would not be an issue.”

For Vanguard Hospitality, the relationship is part of a bigger effort to connect with local producers.

“We’re taking a relationship-driven approach and sourcing within our community whenever possible,” chief operating office Tim Meagher said. “It’s a discovery process, but when you find the right products, the flavor and freshness cannot be beat. Things can be picked at the right time, and they’re not hopping countries to get here. Our guests are served at the right moment for maximum flavor.”

While Giesbrecht continues to hone his lettuce production, right now he’s largely focused on his raspberry patch. It has been prolific enough that he has had to hire pickers.

“And you can come pick yourself,” he added. “We’ve got loads and loads.”

You also occasionally can find those integrated into a Vanguard dish — like this raspberry herb-topped ribeye recently featured at Morrie’s Steakhouse.

The Giesbrecht farm sells to individuals in the Sioux Falls area and uses Dakota Fresh to reach restaurants. Giesbrecht said he’s happy to learn his lettuce has become a focal point on a dining destination like the Minervas Market Bar.

“As long as it sells, I like to grow it,” he said.

Taste Giesbrecht’s lettuce for yourself at Minervas, or head to his farm if you’re in the mood for picking raspberries. Learn more about it here.