Article by Aakanksha Agarwal
April 15, 2024
Jennifer Urich, a farmer, restaurateur and entrepreneur, says she couldn’t afford to eat at the restaurants she supplied her farm-fresh produce to, so she started a shipping container restaurant in Allegheny RiverTrail Park in Aspinwall. Photo by John Beale.
“I always have flour, dirt or paint on my hands. All the time. I’m always messy. I love to get my hands into dirt,” Jen Urich says. “Actually, I don’t like to call it dirt because I don’t think it’s dirty. I think it’s beautiful. My hands are always busy, whether it’s in the garden, kitchen or studio. I’d like to rephrase that — I like to get my hands into creativity.”
With hands that effortlessly transition between soil and dough, paint and flour, Urich is a farmer, baker, artist, chef and entrepreneur all rolled into one at Farmer × Baker, a chic shipping container cafe inside Aspinwall’s Allegheny RiverTrail Park.
Urich was born and raised in Michigan, with a childhood imbued with outdoor adventures and culinary exploration.
“As an only child, I spent much time outdoors, especially on my grandparents’ farm in Rochester, Michigan. Camping trips with my father also instilled a deep connection to nature,” she says
Her artist father’s flair heavily influenced an impressionable Urich in the kitchen.
“Growing up in metro Detroit, food was a cultural experience. We ate and appreciated all the cuisines of the world: Indian, Mediterranean, Korean, Japanese, Italian and so many more,” she says.
Her journey into the culinary world began at the tender age of 6, baking her first apple pie — “an absolute disaster but also one of the many humble beginnings of what would become a lifelong passion.”
After moving to Pittsburgh to pursue art and design at the former Art Institute, Urich ventured into landscape design, merging her artistic sensibilities with her love for nature. At 24, she founded a landscaping company, nurturing her connection to the earth while honing her skills as a designer.
However, it was a profound personal loss that catalyzed Urich’s transition from landscaping to farming.
“After my father passed away from cancer, I felt compelled to breathe new life into an abandoned farm,” she says. Root and Heart Farm was born from grief, serving as both therapy and homage to her father’s memory.
“Everything I’ve ever done is connected with art and nature. I first learned firsthand the application of the science of growing botanicals for my landscaping business. Then I applied all of that knowledge and science to growing food. It was a natural progression.”
Venturing into the culinary realm also was a natural progression for Urich, whose farm-fresh produce quickly caught the attention of Pittsburgh’s discerning palates. Yet, the irony was not lost on her — the very establishments she supplied were often beyond her financial reach.
“It was frustrating, to say the least,” she confesses. “On a farmer’s salary, I couldn’t afford to dine at the restaurants I supplied, a stark reminder of the inequities within the food industry.”
Determined to bridge the gap between farm and table and democratize access to farm-fresh cuisine, Urich embarked on a bold venture, transforming a humble shipping container into Farmer × Baker Restaurant, a culinary oasis where farm-fresh ingredients take center stage.
“I wanted to create a space where everyone could gather and enjoy delicious, locally sourced food,” she says.
Urich began the restaurant with simple, handmade bagels. “I had already spent years perfecting my bagel recipe. The bagels were essentially a vehicle for all the beautiful seasonal produce I was growing at the time — farm-fresh chicken and quail eggs, arugula, any and all salad greens, tomatoes and herbs. A farm-to-bagel experience, if you will. Friends and family were my guinea pigs, and everyone loved them.”
With time, the menu evolved. Today, Urich alchemizes global flavors with fresh, Pennsylvania farm fare to offer a singular experience — from hefty Cuban bagels to roasted pork bahn mi to green shakshouka.
She talks about a very unexpected menu item that turned out to be a crowd-pleaser. “Sorrel ice cream! Sorrel, with its lemony flavor, is abundant in Pennsylvania and serves as a unique base for ice cream. It was a delightful combination of sweet and tangy, showcasing fresh flavors of the season.”
The restaurant business is so demanding that Urich spends less time farming herself. For sourcing ingredients, she patronizes local farms and businesses, including Eleven Mile Farm, Back Yard Farm, Be.wild.er Farm, Ohio Pyle Coffee, Pittsburgh Juice, Napkin Consulting, Polska Laska, La Dorita and the Equity Impact Center.
Speaking of freshness, the water at the location isn’t just a backdrop. It is a defining feature of the al fresco dining experience. For Urich, being near the water is therapeutic, and she tries to extend the same experience to diners at Farmer x Baker.
“I grew up near water. Creating a dining space that allows guests to reconnect with nature while enjoying locally sourced cuisine was a deliberate choice, a way to nourish both body and soul,” says Urich.
Urich acknowledges the challenges of entrepreneurship, particularly in the service industry. The high turnover rate poses a constant struggle, with training costs adding to the burden of small business owners. Despite this, she remains steadfast in her commitment to her values.
“Entrepreneurship, farming and cooking are paths that the world tends to romanticize. The truth is that it is grueling work. There is no work-life balance, but there are moments of zen in between the madness. I have always been fueled and inspired by collaboration and connection. This is the only way forward for me as a human, artist and culinary entrepreneur,” she says.
