Walking through rows and rows of vines, it was hard to believe that we were in the middle of the desert.
Couple of months ago, we had the opportunity to visit Greenheart Organic farms, located on the outskirts of Sharjah, to see where and how Freedom Pizza sources its organic produce. It’s always good to know where your food comes from and Freedom Pizza’s founder Ian Ohan explained about their wholesome ethos, accompanied by Elena Kinane, owner of Greenheart Organic Farms who led us on a guided tour.
We picked our own vegetables along the way after which the Freedom team baked us our own single pizzas in their mobile wood fire oven. They had gluten free pizza crusts available and vegan cheese too! – two of the biggest reasons why Freedom is my most favourite pizza!
Namrata filmed a little video so you can see and appreciate it as well.
Hope you enjoy it!
What we loved most about Greenheart Organic Farms is that it is completely chemical free – no chemical fertilizers or pesticides used. For every growth cycle, they add a percentage of farm-made compost into the soil to give it the natural nutrients it requires. They also add volcanic minerals, all done by hand.
The farm does not have rows and rows of one single crop; they are mixed up which is why the crops aren’t exposed to many pests and diseases. The way it works is the insects get confused by the mixed scents! So you can find spring onions next to aubergines, different types of brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages) alongside turnips. Beetroots, sweetcorn, carrots, courgettes, lots of herbs, leafy greens and more.
They also have three coops for chickens – all free-range and 90% grass-fed. Rest of the feed is leftovers from the farm; leftovers are used to either feed the animals or is made into compost.
So what happens in summer? Greenheart is limited to how much food is grown. The farm grows out until the beginning of July but alongside, they also have climate controlled grow houses. In the summertime, they grow less and import more, especially because they have customers like Freedom Pizza who require produce all year round. In the winter, they only import fruit as that doesn’t grow here so well.
Another fascinating thing we learnt was that Greenheart stopped importing seeds five years ago and now grows varieties that are considered heirloom. What is heirloom? Seeds that originated prior to 1951. Many gardeners consider that year to be the latest a plant could have been non-engineered, as that is the year that marked the widespread introduction of the first hybrid varieties. Heirloom seeds have been passed on from generation to generation. Greenheart have collected and replanted heirloom seeds from the hot weather belt regions, e.g. from Mediterranean countries, the subcontinent, Latin America and so on. They have tried out different varieties and then chose the ones that do well here. These seeds are much more heat tolerant than say, seeds that would come from the US, Holland and others.
Elena came to the UAE 22 years ago, found that the produce was not to her liking, and so started gardening on her balcony. And that has grown into what Greenheart Organic Farms is today. So inspiring! It’s important to understand how food is supposed to be grown and eaten, and to understand the cycle. In her words, one of her biggest motivations is “when people say organic food can’t feed the world. If we can produce it here in the UAE desert – if we can get great yields in a hostile environment, where we have to make our own soil, where there is limited water and difficult seeds – if we can do it here, we can do it everywhere. And this is the message. That the world can be fed organically. We don’t need chemicals in our food. It is a misconception that the industrialized nations have tried to spread.”
A woman after our own heart!
Freedom Pizza makes some superb chicken wings and strips so I had to find out where the chicken comes from? Ian Oahn explained that he spent months working with a supplier in Australia who could commit to producing only antibiotic free and hormone free chicken. As he put it, “I would only want to serve anything I would feed my kids.” The brand stands for ethical and sustainable sourcing, and tries to use clean, natural ingredients wherever possible. They work with a local supplier for their gluten-free pizza crusts and also offer vegan cheese. And finally, desserts have no artificial flavorings and preservatives. How bout that for a fast food company? Winner winner, chicken dinner!
So tell us, how important is organic eating to you?
Thank you Freedom Pizza and Greenheart Organic Farms for a fab day out! x