Mission Statement

The buy local and organic mantra has been a guiding force in my restaurants and catering business for over 30 years. Back in the day of our first restaurant, Firepond, there were few purveyors coming down the long road from Boston to Downeast Maine. So it was out of necessity as well as desire to find and use locally grown and harvested food.

Many of the first farms that supplied us have had generational changes. Horsepower Farm, King Hill Farm, and Four Seasons Farm have been with us since the beginning. Many of their apprentices and protégés have since started their own organic farms on Blue Hill Peninsula. Carding Brook Farm, Living Branch Farm, David's Folley and others have joined them in more recent years.

The abundance of vegetables, fruits and greens they supply allows our kitchens to continue to produce outstanding food concoctions that are delicious and healthy to eat. Sticking with a desire to use the best possible foods can become much more of a challenge in the colder months. We are fortunate to have some of this supply of outstanding locally grown food available to us year round. Eliot Coleman of Four Seasons Farm has perfected cold weather production of greens and tomatoes, and is an important resource to us in the winter as well as the warmer months.

Here on the coast of Downeast Maine one of our most important sources of fresh and local is the ocean. We always feature fish and shellfish that swim in our local waters and are harvested by local fisherman. Because much of this resource is quickly diminishing, finding an alternative supply is a must. Stepping forward are aquaculture farmers who look to find the correct balance between producing high quality product and leaving no negative imprint on the marine environment. Just as on land it is these farmers I seek out.

Since Arborvine is also about to make a generational change I am pleased to report that my own sons who are both chefs and have grow up in the family business are every bit as passionate about bringing the highest quality of sustainably farmed food stuffs to the table as I am.