Mii amo Chef's Garden
Hummingbird at Mii amo, our signature restaurant, sources seasonal produce from its own Chef’s Garden as well as from nearby farms, ranches and orchards.
During your Journey, we invite you to explore our Chef’s Garden on one of our twice weekly garden tours. Learn about plant cycles, seasonality, companion planting, plant care and composting followed by a tasting of seasonal produce freshly prepared at our community garden table.
The relationship between Merkin Vineyards and Mii amo fosters an intimate system and an eco-responsible model, promoting reduced food miles, waste recycling, social upliftment, local economy support, and resourceful nutrient cycling.
The symbiotic relationship between our main farm partner, Merkin Vineyards, and Executive Chef Beau Widener emphasizes the crux of sustainability. The interdependence between a small farm and a chef forms a virtuous circle reflecting the essence of sustainability, benefiting the local community and the environment.
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Economically, the farm and chef forge a mutualistic alliance: Hummingbird receives a reliable supply of fresh vegetables. This not only guarantees rich flavors and authentic dishes in the restaurant, but also greatly minimizes the “food miles.” The environmental footprint associated with transporting produce over long distances is considerably reduced, contributing to sustainable living. By directly sourcing from the farm, the restaurant bypasses intermediary costs and potential stock issues, while the farm gets a fairer share of profits.
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Social sustainability is cultivated through the support of the local community. By turning to small, local farms rather than distant conglomerates, the restaurant assists in maintaining local livelihoods and traditions, contributing to the community’s welfare and identity.
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Environmentally, this relationship epitomizes the circular economy. The farm’s practice of composting the restaurant’s food scraps reduces waste, returning valuable nutrients back to the soil. Additionally, composted food scraps are fed to the farm animals. At Merkin, ducks and chickens roam free and consume the food waste collected at Hummingbird, converting food waste into fresh eggs further emphasizing nutrient cycling. These eggs are then brought back to the restaurant, closing the loop. This system drastically diminishes food miles, mitigating the environmental cost of long-distance food transportation.
Hayden Flour Mills | Gilbert, Arizona
We are proud to partner with Hayden Flour Mills located in Gilbert, Arizona. Using small-batch stone milling techniques which preserves flavor and nutrient density, their mission is to revive forgotten heritage grains and grow them using sustainable practices. An alternative to over-processed American wheat, their grains are grown naturally, using an energy-efficient milling process that is 100% solar powered. Hayden Flour Mill grains are alive with flavor, texture, aroma and natural nutrients. All of the wheat and grain products offered at Hummingbird at Mii amo are sourced from Hayden Flour Mills.
