A visit to Amish Country’s Der Dutchman restaurant yields a number of delicious surprises

By Vicki VanNatta, Dutchman Hospitality Group

Given the opportunity to tour the Chef’s Harvest greenhouse in Millersburg, my co-workers and I were immediately overwhelmed by a wonderful sense of well-being and joy. Sounds ridiculous, right? Surrounded by thousands of nutrient-rich green plants thriving in clear spring water and beautiful sunlight, we wanted to soak it up just like the greens.

Chef’s Harvest owner Matt Yoder showed us how his passion for experimenting and growing has become his livelihood. He’s happy to tell us the things growing in his greenhouses are healthy, nutritious, and good for everyone.

Der Dutchman Restaurant serves Chef’s Harvest Gourmet Greens, so we wanted to learn more about this farm-to-table food provided for our guests.

Tracy Houze, general manager of Der Dutchman Restaurant, chooses Matt’s products because “There is no waste, no chemicals, no bugs, and no dirt on the greens. They are fresh and they come to us directly from his greenhouse—less than 10 miles from the restaurant. We also use his fresh basil and dandelion greens.”

After only two years as a grower, Chef’s Harvest Gourmet Hydroponic Lettuce is thriving. In fact, Matt recently added a third greenhouse. They grow a wide variety of lettuces, including green and red butter, romaine, green leaf, oak leaf, summer crisp, green and red sweet crisp, Lola Rosa, and icicle lettuce. Other leafy greens in the greenhouse are arugula, watercress, basil, cilantro, micro-greens, and edible flowers.

Outside the greenhouses, they grow seedless grapes and garlic, harvesting 5,000 pounds of grapes per season. Very few seedless grapes are grown in Ohio, and their vines were the second vineyard to be planted in Ohio.

When you choose the Spring Mix from Der Dutchman’s salad bar, you are choosing non-GMO greens grown just outside Charm, Ohio, in a chemical-free environment.

To plan your visit to either of the Dutchman Hospitality inns, call 1-855-344-7547. The web address to locate all properties, including Der Dutchman, the restaurant owned and operated by Dutchman Hospitality Group, is DHGroup.com. For updates on business hours and current operational practices, please call the number listed here.