Interview · People · Trends & Season
Hannes Voss on What Farmers Wish Cooks Knew
A small-farm grower on timing, imperfect produce, and what actually makes a vegetable good.
Hannes Voss has been farming the same four acres for eleven years. We asked him what he wishes more cooks understood before the vegetables ever reach a kitchen.
What's the biggest misunderstanding cooks have about produce?
That ripeness is a fixed target instead of a window. A tomato is good for maybe four days, not one perfect afternoon, and most of the frustration I hear from cooks comes from missing that window in either direction.
Does appearance matter as much as people think?
Almost never, for flavor. It matters for sorting and selling, which is a different problem entirely — one that has more to do with supermarket habits than with what's actually good to eat.
What's something you wish restaurants ordered more of?
The odd sizes. A carrot that's too big or too small for a neat plate is exactly the same carrot as the ones that get chosen, and it usually goes to waste for no real reason.
How has climate shifted what you grow?
Earlier and later than it used to. The middle of the season looks about the same, but the edges have stretched, and I've had to get comfortable planting things a few weeks off from where I learned to.
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