Farmer John

Chef John Besh has taken to wearing his oldest jeans and boots and getting his hands dirty.  He has, in fact, become a farmer.  But rest assured, he has not thrown in the toque for tagging cattle, he is just doing both.  Besh knows that exquisite ingredients are integral to his production of an artistic and delicious dish.  As many fine chefs do, he has developed relationships over the years with local farmers and purveyors to get fresh, high-quality produce, meats, poultry, seafood, and dairy products.  But now John is taking it one step further.

In an effort to maintain the quality of his meats, John, with the help of his Corporate Executive Chef at Besh Restaurant Group, Steven McHugh, is raising livestock – starting with 4 cows, 6 pigs, 4 goats and 4 sheep. In July 2007, there was the first slaughter of pigs which is providing meat for all the restaurants at present and also they are curing ham shanks for the future. Behind the pens is a huge chicken coup with about 30 hens and a few roosters mixed in the bunch to keep it lively.  The animals are being raised following “eco-ganic” practices, on a grain diet of wheat, barley, and corn.  To accommodate this endeavor, John is also using land in Covington, Louisiana, owned by his friend and farmer Jim Core, who has provided organic greens, tomatoes, and other products to August and Besh Steak for several years.  Beyond cuts of meat, John will take the opportunity to produce other items for the restaurant, making his own hog's head cheese, lamb sausages and the best quality veal. And you can enjoy many of these delicious dishes in the courtyard area of La Provence that happens to be filled with a variety of herbs, like lavender or thyme, which makes for an aromatic respite outdoors.  

Farmer by day, chef by night, in addition to the many civic tasks he performs for the city – John Besh is a man of many hats, and loving it.