It started as an urban farm five years ago. Now YellowTree is a common name among area chefs and locavores. Owner Justin Leszcz juggles his time between three plots of land and selling his products at the Tower Grove and Schlafly farmers markets. Here, Leszcz shares his growing pains – and pleasures.
Where does the name YellowTree come from?
When I was in the car business, I had the receptionist do it – I was trying to come up with business names. She just spouted that out.
What is your favorite farming tool?
It’s called a Choremaster. I think it’s a 1947. The world’s smallest tractor. It’s a one-wheel tractor that has a mercury clutch.
Why do you care so much about the brix level in foods you grow?
The brix level is the sugar content of produce. It’s been proven that the higher the sugar level, the better it tastes. A higher brix level correlates with somebody who’s growing more sustainably. The more you’re putting into the soil, the higher your sugar content. That’s why I’m on different plots this year. The hardest thing I’m learning right now is how to do that on a bigger scale.
Tell me all the foods you’re growing.
I don’t think I could. There’s so many! Here, I got a list of what I got this week: [pulls out crumpled piece of paper] Green cabbage, Napa cabbage, pickling cucumbers, regular cucumbers, small zucchini, big zucchini, Asian mustard greens, regular mustard greens, collard greens, Japanese white sweet potatoes, regular sweet potatoes, small onions, Chinese broccoli, bok choy, yu choy and all the popcorn products.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever grown?
It was the toothache plant, or Sichuan button. It’s got a chemical in it … The capsaicin’s really hot. This is a feeling you’ve never really experienced before. It’s almost like a numbing, tingling … some people say battery acid. It’s definitely interesting. Mike [Emerson, co-owner of Pappy’s Smokehouse] came over, wanted to see what I was up to. That was one of the first things I gave him. It completely blew his mind. It really started a good relationship between us.
And you forage, right?
Yes, I do that, too. Chanterelles are just starting to come out right now.
What will you sell in the next few months that you will forage?
Some kind of bark. Like for a tea. You can make a liquid with the bark and poach a fish in it. Every bark is a little different.
Do you do a lot of educating?
That’s all I do. Case in point: a young girl, 18, 19 years old. She bought my collard greens. She says, “Thank you for coming to this market. It’s so great to have organic farmers here.” I said, “How the hell do you know I am an organic farmer? You didn’t even ask me how I grew my stuff, what I do to my crops, what I do to my soil.”
Did you lose a client for life?
Oh, no! She’ll be back. How else do you educate people?
How does your past as a car salesman help you now?
Just dealing with people. It’s sales still. I’m sitting on 150 pounds of cabbage. Next week, I’m gonna have another 150. I gotta get people to start making some coleslaw.
Anything else you want to tell me?
I’ve got winter projects. I have a potter’s wheel, so I’m gonna make pottery. I’ve been gathering wood at the farm. I’m gonna make tables and end tables. And vinegar: I have three different citrus wines and a cushaw squash wine. I’m gonna put a vinegar mother in it, turn the wine into vinegar and bottle it.
This article appears in August 2013.