The Pizza Story
The addition of Pizza Nights to The Good Earth Farm has been a long time dream of Nancy and Jeff, and with its realization it seems important to give some context and explanation as to why and how this came about.
A (very) Brief History: Jeff’s dad Butch had a powerful love of pizza, and brought the second ever pizza oven to South Dakota back in 1959. Butch loved crafting his own pizzas and concocted his own delicious red sauce recipe which Jeff uses to this day on TGE pizzas.
Thus, Pizza Nights did not come about on a whim or by accident, (as some other things on the farm have), but instead has been a slow and intentional process of perfecting pizza recipes, (with many, many nights of practice pizza dinners for both humans and pigs alike) cooking strategies, and contemplating event details.
The pizzas fit into the larger mosaic of the farm, bringing people together with fresh, sustainably grown food for community and time at the restorative oasis of the farm. The ingredients are either sourced from TGE’s very own veggie garden, or from local farmers and friends, creating a unique garden to pizza experience that has inspired more traffic to the farm and has satisfied many hungry bellies.
Our first pizza night was for our July 3rd party, and while there was still much to sort out, it was a wonderfully fun and exciting night-- as they have all been since.
How it works: We’ve realized that it's horribly stressful and wasteful to have no prior idea of how many people will be coming to order pizzas. So, for each pizza night we post an Eventbrite event for people to register for how many pizzas they’re planning on ordering so that we prepare accordingly. The registration is free because when people arrive at the farm, they can head to the bar in the lower level of the barn to order their pizzas and purchase drinks and farm merch all in the string-lit ambiance (and the AC) of the lower level. When ordering pizzas you’ll be given a pizza ticket, one per pizza, to fill out with the name of your group’s order and your selection. You then take this ticket to wherever the pizza making station is (it’s subject to move around for optimal wind protection and shade) where you’ll give your ticket to one of our lovely staff. Then, while waiting for your pizza, you can find somewhere to sit, roam the walk paths, and watch Harold and Charlie splashing in their mud pool. While there are some specific steps to follow, this really helps to ensure that everyone has a fulfilling and smooth pizza experience.
In terms of garbage, we generally ask that people use their pizza boxes to take trash off of the farm, as we don’t have the space or the resources to dispose of hundreds of pizza boxes. However, Nancy is experimenting with using the pizza boxes to line the rows between veggies in the garden as both a weed blocker and a potential gateway into low/no till farming, which has been another long time dream. So just make sure to read the details of each event on Nancy’s thoughtfully crafted posts so you have all the updated information (-:
Life on the farm is a never ending list of to-do’s and dreams. It is a place where you can never pull the last weed or harvest the last pepper, but you know that each step is meaningful, and each little action contributes to the greater wellbeing and health of the farm and its visitors. We’re so glad to have begun this wonderful pizza journey, and we are incredibly, amazingly grateful for our wonderful community of fresh faces and long time visitors alike for taking this journey with us and supporting us with every step. Thank you, and we’ll see you at our next pizza night!! Check the events page on The Good Earth Farm’s website, or our social media for updated events.
