Farmer Jodi Swank, 58, owner of Swank Specialty Produce, talks about lettuce the way other people talk about love.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, a travel job sent her to South Florida where she met Darrin, her husband of more than 25 years. Darrin’s dream of becoming a hydroponic farmer was hatched with a childhood visit to Epcot Center’s futuristic agriculture exhibits, and in 1999 the couple purchased 20 acres in Loxahatchee Groves, 14 miles from West Palm Beach.
They started farming with three products: lettuce, arugula and basil. Jodi began selling directly to chefs throughout Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, pulling up to the back doors of local restaurants with her beautiful hydroponic lettuces and her children in tow, along with her confidence in the delicate and tender qualities of their lettuces. Before long, local chefs were clamoring for her greens.
Today, Swank Specialty Produce is a hydroponic and sustainable farm growing more than 350 varieties of lettuces, specialty greens, baby and full-size vegetables, microgreens and herbs, tomatoes, strawberries, edible flowers, hemp and wildflowers.
In 2013 the duo launched Swank Table, a seasonal series of farm dinners notable for acclaimed guest chefs and sommeliers from South Florida and beyond cooking together in the beautiful farm setting — from award-winning chefs like Michael Schwartz and Michelle Bernstein to local favorites including Clay Conley and Lindsay Autry. Always mindful of the neighbors who helped launch the farm, a portion of proceeds from these dinners goes to local charities.
A born innovator, Swank started a farmers market onsite at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic which has grown to more than 30 vendors. Fully licensed to farm hemp, the Swanks now offer a variety of hemp and CBD products at the market. This year, they started hosting farmhouse wine dinners in their home; a new venture that offers a more intimate experience than Swank Table which can accommodate 220 guests.
“We’re full on as we enter our 23rd growing season,” enthuses Swank. “I love growing and feeding my family with healthy food that comes from our land. But much more than that, it’s about watching the public buy my lettuce, returning week after week for more. It’s addictive — clean, pesticide-free, tender; it doesn’t need dressing — the best lettuce in South Florida, perhaps the state.”