You’re gonna be hungry by the end of this episode. We talk with Rob Clement and Hannah Woociker about the amazing collab that became Meshugganah, Modern Jewish Cuisine.
Rob and Hannah share the stories behind how some of their Jewish food & pastries are made and cured. Nick pretty much left a puddle of drool as Hannah described her Babka, a loaf of sweet braided bread with chocolate and cinnamon. Our main takeaway? It’s important to do what you love. After working other jobs, Rob returned to his roots in cooking and rediscovered his passion. And he’s been making magic ever since.
Upscale church potluck is the vibe Jamie Brown & Jeff Tonidandel are going for with their newest Charlotte, NC restaurant, Supperland, in the Plaza Midwood neighborhood.
Supperland is Jamie Brown and Jeff Tonidandel’s first step outside their NoDa neighborhood where their Tonidandel-Brown restaurant properties, Growlers Pour House, Haberdish, Crepe Cellar & Reigning Doughnuts, take over almost a full block of dining. Supperland is a picturesque marvel repurposing 2 historic church buildings into a boho-chic bar and main dining room with an open kitchen at the back.
“It’s been a big part of what we see as our responsibility to continue to grow to create opportunities for these amazing people who are on our team.”
Casey Ostwinch began landscaping at age 16 and immediately discovered one important thing: He sure preferred the fresh air to work indoors. Fast forward and he and his wife, Tori, are now living off their land, Honey Tree Farm, and selling produce to local restaurants and markets.
Casey’s love of the outdoors carried on into college where he studied horticulture and landscape. It wasn’t long after moving to North Carolina to become an arborist for Barlett Tree Experts that Casey started taking the job home.
He and his wife, Tori, began homesteading and growing their own food in 2016, documenting it all on Instagram. And on Instagram is where their farm life took off. Someone discovered their feed and approached them the Ostwinches to turn their land into a farm.
Casey and Tori sold everything, packed up their belongings, and moved to a camper on the property. Tori continued her work at a corporate job while Casey tended to the farm. But they soon realized that they could manage the farm together.
And what began as a quest for good health now became a business idea. Trips to farmer’s markets and restaurants in the area had sparked an idea in the Ostwinches — they could do this too.
Casey turned to some gardening books suggested by friends that taught him about turning the farm into a business and ‘market gardening.” They’ve found success producing fruits and vegetables to sell.
And they’ve also found success online. On their popular YouTube channel, Honey Tree Farm, Casey and Tori post weekly videos showing the progress of their work and give tips for those who want to begin gardening. Because unpredictable weather can make farming and gardening tricky, the Ostwinches teach their viewers to be prepared for the unexpected and help answer questions for struggling gardeners.
Casey’s top takeaways as a business owner for finding success:
1) Communication Matters
2) Develop a relationship with your customers
3) Be proactive
4) have a strong work ethic
What’s next for Honey Tree Farm? Right now they have plans for the future that involves more than only selling vegetables at markets, which they’re super excited about but can’t say just yet!
“There is no finish line. Nobody ‘wins’ a business. There is no finish line.”