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Welcome to the farm, and have a seat at the table.
Even though you can’t actually sit at the table of Rosy Tomorrows right now during the Coronavirus pandemic, this farm to table restaurant in Ft. Myers, Florida is an absolute must for making mental reservations for the time when they will one day open their doors again.
Rosy Tomorrows is beyond any trend; they are modeling a healthier, more humane, more delicious, and more sustainable food system. And you might do a double-take to hear that they are doing all of this just outside of Fort Myers, Florida. South Florida was not known for its thriving heritage breed, pasture-raised beef and pork industry. But that was not a deterrent for trained chef Rose O’Dell King who experienced the delicious results of Europe’s slow-food culture while living in England with her children and husband Gary, while he served as a CIO in the tech industry.
In 2004 the family moved to Fort Myers, Florida, and four years later Rose founded Southwest Florida’s Slow Food chapter with the mission to support local food producers and inspire new generations to invest in a more sustainable and higher-quality food supply chain. Rosy and Gary began searching for a spot to make their own personal contribution to southwest Florida’s slow-food movement. After a year-long search, they discovered a 100-acre plot of land northwest of Fort Myers, Florida that was perfect for the pasture raising of long-horn cattle and heritage hogs. And just like that, Rosy Tomorrow’s Heritage Farm in Fort Myers, Florida was born.
As with all great success stories, Rosy Tomorrows had some growing pains. They started the farm/ranch with the initial intention to sell butchered pasture-raised beef, pork and chickens to the local area, but they quickly understood that local consumers wouldn’t justify the extra cost of such labor-intensive and high-quality animal products when they had been conditioned to pay dirt cheap prices for low-quality factory-farmed animals. So in order to stay afloat, they decreased the cost of their meat to a more competitive rate. But Gary joked that by doing so they might as well have been handing over a $20 bill with each chicken they sold. Then, in 2016, Rose knew what she had to do: Put her chef skills to work.
People will gladly spend $20 to $40 for a fantastically prepared meal. Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm started utilizing the incredible ingredients that were produced right there and began turning them into amazing dishes. With a smattering of dinner parties and holiday brunches, their reputation grew as the stylish, truly Floridian spot to celebrate a special day and enjoy superior farm-to-table cuisine.
As Rosy Tomorrows expanded their kitchen hours, as well as the items they were producing on the farm, they quickly claimed a permanent place in the hearts of epicurean southwest Floridians. And what’s so special about this, is that for many patrons dining at Rosy Tomorrows, it may have been the first time they experienced the quality difference of a clean, sustainable meal that was prepared with a slow-food approach. One taste, and as we know, there is no turning back. You can read more about our own experience eating at Rosy Tomorrow Fort Myers. Here’s a “taste” of what we orderd: Mouth-watering beignets and shrimp & grits:
The Rosy Tomorrows menu always changes, which is all the more reason to return again and again. As a Clean Foodie, you will rest easy with anything you select off the menu including many of the wine and beer options. As a lover of food, you will have found a piece of delicious pastoral Floridian paradise! Sitting on their generous covered dining porch surrounded by green grass, palm trees, and grazing cattle you’ll smile at the idea of more incredible places like this popping up across the entire country in the future. Rosy Tomorrow Fort Myers makes you think about just that: healthier, more sustainable, more delicious, more nutritious- tomorrows.
That is what we are so grateful to Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm for – They’re not just preaching to the choir, but are blazing a trail that opens the door to many people starting to make incremental changes in how they value the art of food production and cultivation. The saying is true, “the best way to teach is by example.” and Rosy Tomorrows is certainly helping shape a brighter future by setting an inspiring example of how delightful and delicious, sustainable and clean food can be.
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