Green Tomato: The Pioneer of Pioneer Valley
04 September 2013
Dr. Tso-Cheng Chang was a pioneer of “no pesticides or herbicides” farming in the United States. His farm, which grows vegetables for his award-winning restaurant in Amherst, Mass., not only is one of the largest bean-spout producers in the nation, it also grows schizandra berries—which might be the ginseng of this decade.
Long before “shop local, buy local” became something Americans came to value, Dr. Tso-Cheng Chang grew his own Chinese vegetables to serve at his award-winning restaurant, Amherst Chinese Food, on Main Street in downtown Amherst, Mass. So when in 1983 he converted his farm in nearby Whatley into a small factory designed to mass-produce bean sprouts, it barely caused a ripple on the local business scene.
That same factory on Dr. Chang’s Farm recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with the distinction of being one of the largest soybean- and mung-bean-sprout facilities in the United States.
“You would say from the success of his restaurant and the sprout farm that Dr. Chang epitomizes the American dream, but his story goes beyond that,” says Steven V. Dubin, spokesperson for Dr. Chang Naturals, which grows and wholesales the company’s certified schizandra berries. “In fact, it’s quite fitting that his farm is in a region known as Pioneer Valley because Dr. Chang has pioneered a number of things, most notably ‘no herbicides or pesticides’ farming.”
Chang’s journey began in a small town in Shandong Province, China, where he was born in the late 1920s. He earned an undergraduate degree in agronomy from Taiwan University in 1953 and later emigrated to the United States, where he earned an M.S. in crop science from Michigan State University in 1966.
Chang’s first job in this country was working for The Dow Chemical Company, which put him in charge of its Taiwan operations. There, he soon came to recognize the many unforeseen dangers herbicides and pesticides presented both to farmers and consumers who raised and bought these heavily sprayed crops.
Chang alerted Dow management to the fact its policies could not work in Taiwan where, at the time, all farms were small and in constant use. This meant there was no chance for the land to lay fallow and hopefully recover from heavy chemical use. Dow, however, did not heed Chang’s plea, so he resigned.
Chang moved to Massachusetts and earned a doctorate in plant and soil science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1973. Shortly after, he opened Amherst Chinese Food and, in 1976, Dr. Chang’s Farm in Whatley.
“Beyond eliminating the need for pesticides while growing nutrient-dense food, Dr. Chang was an early advocate of soil remineralization and has utilized rock dust on the farm since 1995,” says Dubin. “At present, due to these early efforts, his farm’s soil has become so rich that he has not needed to add more rock dust for many years.”
The fruits (and vegetables) of this labor have been plentiful. From its humble beginnings, Dr. Chang’s Farm has grown considerably, but still remains wholly owned and managed by the Chang family. After beginning operations in 1983, the bean-sprout factory has expanded into what is now a state-of-the-art facility producing hundreds of thousands of tons of mung-bean and soybean sprouts each week.
Yet Dr. Chang’s Farm’s most significant horticultural contribution might be the schizandra berries grown on the farm.
The schizandra berry is referred as an adaptogen, applied to certain botanicals capable of bringing balance to the body. In short, they “adapt” to what the body needs at the moment. One person might need energy, another stress relief. An adaptogen helps both by assisting the body to reach its optimum level of health and well-being—a state referred to by science as homeostasis.
Whether in whole-berry form, beverage or powder, schizandra berry supports healthy energy, vitality, cell function, calming relaxation, mental clarity, stamina, immunity, detoxification, reproduction and digestion.
“The schizandra berry has been featured on ‘Dr. Oz’ and other programs for its wide variety of health benefits,” says Dubin. “As Americans look to the East and Chinese remedies and supplements, the schizandra berry could be the ginseng of this decade.”
Dr. Chang Naturals grows and wholesales its certified organic schizandra berry powder worldwide. One can also order a glass of fresh schizandra berry juice at Chang’s restaurant. Amherst Chinese has offered the juice for more than 18 years and remains the only place in America, and perhaps the world, where one can find this healthy beverage on the menu.
“Nowadays, you’re more likely to hear about businesses going under rather than celebrating a 30th anniversary,” says Dubin. “But with the management team we have in place and consumers’ interest in organic foods like our sprouts and the schizandra berry, Dr. Chang’s Farm is positioned to celebrate many more anniversaries.”
For more information about Dr. Chang Naturals, visit www.organicchiberry.com.
Photo: Dr. Tso-Cheng Chang, owner of Dr. Chang’s Farm in Whatley, Mass., home of one of the largest bean-sprout factories in the United States, stands with one of the farm’s other main crops, schizandra berries. Juice from the berries is served at Chang’s restaurant, Amherst Chinese Food.