Mrs Shanen on Frankenfood and the Benefits of Eating Green

Bagel baker, restaurateur, organic farmer – Lejen Chen has fashioned a career out of a passion for wholesome food. Raised in Brooklyn NY, she is the co-founder with husband Shan En of Mrs Shanen’s, which is both a popular Shunyi restaurant and Beijing’s best-known boutique food line, producing bagels, ciabatta, cookies and cakes. Their latest venture is Green Cow Farm, a six-hectare organic farm in Shunyi. Lejen Chen spoke to the Beijinger about her work and the appeal of organic food.

tbj: Why start an organic farm?

Lejen Chen: In 2003, my husband and I became frightened of what we were eating after visiting local farms. For instance, many Chinese growers use highly toxic sludge from wastewater treatment plants as fertilizer, since sludge is so much cheaper than manure. (This is not limited to China, by the way: in the US, 60% of all toxic sludge is used to grow food.) We already had some experience growing our own herbs, so we decided to find a space where we could grow our own food. In this we were inspired by people like Dan Barber, Alice Waters, Michael Pollan and Dai Qing who grow and make traditional foods.

tbj: Describe the farm today

LC: We have 70 chickens, six geese, seven cows and a pig that produce all the manure for the compost needed to grow more than 25 types of fruit and vegetables. We also grow corn, wheat and soybean to feed the animals. We don’t used pesticides, herbicides or GMO seeds and we test the soil to ensure it’s free of chemicals. It’s a closed-system organic farm.

tbj: Where do you distribute your organic products?

LC: We use our vegetables, fruit and free-range eggs in the dishes we prepare in our restaurant – in the summer we probably use 95 percent organic vegetables. We also sell some of our produce in the restaurant. We also supply a box of fresh seasonal vegetables from the farm once a week to the 15 members of our Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program and use the funds [RMB 16,000 per member per year] to support the cost of running the farm.

tbj: What advice do you have for Beijingers who want to eat green?

LC: My investigations have made me distrustful of organic labels, so consumers should educate themselves. Look at the label and call the farm. Ask where their organic fertilizer comes from, or whether they will allow you to come for a visit. If they are willing to let you come it's a good sign. I also encourage people to rent a plot of land and grow their own food or find a farmer to grow it for them. If consumers skip the middleman, the cost drops. Many organic products are just sourced, repackaged and marked up.

tbj: Why eat organic food?

LC: Organic food means improved health and longer life for consumers, safer work conditions and better health for farmers, and cleaner water and healthier soil for all.

tbj: What’s the future of organic food in China?

LC: I hope organics become more popular and affordable. But we have a ways to go. There still are traditional farms throughout China that don’t have good roads and can't get the chemicals shipped in. The products they produce don't have the organic label and don't cost more, but they are truly organic. I see a future for a return to traditional farming practices combined with modern organic techniques and tools.

tbj: Do you ever eat junk food?

LC: I don't eat it processed foods laden with chemical preservatives and colors, but I do enjoy eating cookies made with real butter, ice cream made with un-homogenized milk and cream, and other treats made from real ingredients.

tbj: If you weren’t running three enterprises you’d be …

LC: Traveling through China in search of traditional recipes for vinegar and soy sauce to document them before they are lost.