A real tale of labors of love: Why local restaurants give thanks to the Swanks

During 20 years in the luxury travel business, Jodi Swank sometimes daydreamed about living in one of the exotic spots she visited.
Would she choose Greece or Russia? France or Turkey?
Today, she lives in a place far more foreign to her.
"Lemme tell ya. I'm a Jewish girl from Brooklyn. How did I end up on a farm in Loxahatchee?," she says. "And who'd have thought I'd love it?"
Then the former city girl goes back to telling rapt customers at the West Palm Beach Greenmarket how to turn over a new leaf.
To cook broccoli rabe, "saute in some olive oil, with garlic. h, tremendous," Jodi tells one woman.
Squash blossoms? "Stuff them with goat cheese. Heaven!"
She offers a taste of a fern-like green called minutina.
"It's an Italian salad green that's sweet, not bitter. Isn't that amazing?"

An eight-ball zucchini, a brightly colored purple cabbage and Darrin Swank washes off a cluster of freshly picked finger leeks. (Libby Volgyes/The Palm Beach Post)
Marcia and Alan Docter of Palm Beach are restocking their refrigerator following an Alaska dogsled tour, where they ate Swank produce carried on board their private plane.
"It has no chemicals. It's what you always wanted to eat but could never get your hands on," said Marcia.
Ten years after starting Swank Specialty Produce, Jodi and her husband, Darrin, have become leaders in the area's farm-to-table movement, the values reset that is reshaping American food culture and more recently found a foothold in South Florida.
They're on the advisory board of the Glades to Coast chapter of the Slow Food movement, which champions small farms and locally grown food. Top chefs now clamor for the couple's artisan-grown, farm-fresh vegetables.
"We believe people should know where their food is coming from," said Jodi, who handles sales and marketing while Darrin nurtures the plants. "That's what they get when they support small farms."
Diane Campion, the local Slow Food chapter's president, says the Swanks are "trailblazers. They're at the forefront of an exciting new movement."
The mega-farms that make Palm Beach County the state's top agriculture producer typically grow less than a dozen varieties – mainly beans, peppers, celery, tomatoes, sugar cane and corn – on thousands of acres and ship most of it out of the area. It might be weeks before it lands in shoppers' grocery carts.

Darrin Swank tending to his tomato plants in in Loxahathcee. (Libby Volgyes/The Palm Beach Post)
In contrast, the Swanks produce more than 200 types of vegetables on their 20-acre hydroponic farm and sell all of it locally, usually one to two days after it was picked.
"That's incredibly unusual," said Arthur Kirstein, an economist with the Palm Beach County agriculture extension service, which gave the Swanks a $10,000 grant nine years ago.
Their first crop in 2002 coincided with the initial wave of area greenmarkets and the rise of South Florida's locavore movement.
"They've always been very good farmers, but what's improved is the market," Kirstein said.
On the dirt road to Swank Farm, dry season dust unfurls behind vehicles like a boat wake.
South Florida's heat makes life grand for weeds and whiteflies but hellish for those trying to grow plants in soil without a roster of chemicals. The Swanks dodge the problem by not using soil.
Inside the 70,000-square-foot screened shade house, Darrin is fussing with the waist-high hydroponic tables that deliver nutrient-rich water to plants tucked in 2-inch diameter holes. From lines of black grow bags, 12-foot long tomato vines clamber up strings dangling from the roof. Eggplant sprout star-like blue flowers.

Jackson police: Woman tossed hypodermic needles out truck window

A township woman was placed under arrest and charged with possession of hypodermic syringes and possession of drug paraphernalia on Friday night, according to a press release from the township police department.

At approximately 11:30 p.m. Friday, township police officer Jeremy Felder conducted a motor vehicle stop on a Dodge pick-up as it was pulling into the Hess station on Bennetts Mills Road.

During the motor vehicle stop, Felder observed the driver of the vehicle toss a small bag from the truck to the ground outside the truck. According to the police, the bag was recovered and was discovered to contain several hypodermic syringes, empty baggies and other paraphernalia commonly associated with heroin use.

Leigh Santillo, 18, was placed under arrest, transported to police headquarters and released on a summons/complaint with a pending court date.

Angry Birds cause a flap

A POPULAR puzzle video game called Angry Birds, which has been downloaded millions of times as an iPhone application, is causing a flap in more ways than one in Singapore.

The distinctive cartoon birds from a game originally developed in Finland have now winged their way off the screen to become huggable soft toys coveted by fans all over the world. They are officially due to arrive in Singapore only next month at the big toy stores and are being brought in by Megcorp and Co, the licensed distributor of Angry Birds plush toys in Singapore.

However, some of the coveted soft toy birdies have flown in under the radar already.

The early birds popped up at a SingTel booth at the IT Show 2011 at Suntec Convention Centre recently to the delight of fans. They were obtained from the game's developer, Finnish-based Rovio Mobile, through a supplier in the United States, according to a SingTel spokesman. SingTel was using the soft toys in promotions.

Angry Birds plush toys have also been spotted in several locker consignment shops around the island. It is not known if these Angry Birds from unofficial suppliers are the real deal from Rovio, like SingTel's were, or knock-offs.

They are for sale at Toy Outpost outlets in VivoCity and Jurong Point, as well as at Magic Cube & Novelties in Shaw Towers, retailing from $15.90 to $49.90, which at the higher end is less than the Rovio price on the Internet. The managers of all three stores declined to reveal their sources under agreement obligations.

Gardening, antiques provide inspiration for artist

What type of art do you create?

I paint in oils in the classical realist tradition.
Describe your work:

I am primarily a still life painter, although I enjoy painting landscapes and portraits as well. My favorite subject matter to paint is a beautiful flower arrangement or flowers in a natural garden setting.
When did you start making your art?

I have been painting full-time for the past 10 years, but I have always loved to paint and draw. I studied art in college but ended up working in the health care field in our family business for 15 years before returning to art. Once all of my children were in school full-time, I was able to devote more time to my painting. To refine my skills, I have attended many workshops all over the country studying with some of the best classic artists of today. My mother, Barbara Beauchamp, also an artist has given me continual encouragement and support in my pursuit as a professional artist.
What inspires you?

My own colorful garden or a great "find" in an antique shop will often be the inspiration for a new painting. My studio is filled with many interesting brass, copper and blue and white porcelain containers, old rugs and linens that often find their way into my paintings. My love of gardening and antiques all come together in many of my still life works.
What are the challenges of creating your art?

Being a mother of three girls, it is always a challenge to find the time to paint uninterrupted. Family always comes first.
Do you make a living through your art?

Yes, I am a full-time professional artist.
Do you have a job outside of your art?

Yes, raising three children. In the past, I worked full-time in home health care, but I left the field about 10 years ago and now pursue art full time.
Who is your favorite artist?

I have so many favorite artists it is hard to name just one. Richard Schmid and David Leffel are some of the present day masters that I most admire and I also love the work of the old Dutch Masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer.
Where in the community can your work be seen?

My work is on display at the Art Institute & Gallery in Salisbury as part of the spring show. I also am currently represented by Bishop's Stock in Snow Hill and will be participating in the annual Paint Snow Hill plein air event April 15-17. The "wet paint" sale will be held on April 17 at the old fire house. I am also a participating artist in the Spring Flowers show though Peninsula-Gallery in Lewes April 2-27, and my work will be on display in Maryland at the Oxford Community Center May 27-29 for the 27th annual Oxford Fine Arts Fair.