Epiphany Farms Enterprise is a “Farm to Fork” concept that practices sustainable, beyond organic, environmentally friendly techniques. The epiphany for the concept came from Ken Myszka of Downs, Illinois. After obtaining degrees in culinary arts and hospitality management and while working in some of the top kitchens in Las Vegas, Ken gained a deep appreciation for farm fresh products but also realized these products could come at a great cost and left a large carbon footprint. Ken was interested in creating a better system—one that gave him more responsibility for the ingredients and techniques he was using as a chef. So he decided to bring his knowledge, passion, and experience back to Illinois. Using his family’s land in Downs, Ken founded Epiphany Farms Enterprise.

Ken was soon joined on the farm by Mike Mustard (who attended the Napa Valley Culinary School and worked at some of the best restaurants throughout the U.S. and Italy), Stu Hummel (who attended Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh and cooked for all walks of life in the best kitchens throughout the U.S.), and Nanam Yoon Myszka (who attended the University of Nevada in Las Vegas and worked in customer relations in U.A.E. and Korea). Combining their culinary and hospitality educations and vast restaurant experiences, the members of Epiphany Farms Enterprise are enacting the “Farm to Fork” concept by producing hundreds of varieties of vegetables and herbs alongside grass-fed beef, free-range chickens, pigs, turkeys, ducks, hens, and eggs that will be on the ever-changing, seasonal menus of their restaurant, to be opened in Bloomington, IL, in 2011.

Ken Myszka

Ken Myszka, of Downs, IL, attended the Culinary Institute of America in New York and the University of Nevada in Las Vegas for a degree in hospitality management. He has worked at some of the best restaurants throughout the U.S., including Solo (New York), Company American Bistro (Las Vegas), Restaurant Guy Savoy (Las Vegas), Bradley Odgen (Las Vegas), Bouchon (Las Vegas), and at the Broadmoor Resort (Colorado Springs).

Stu Hummel

Stu Hummel, of Clearfield, PA, attended Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh. He has cooked for all walks of life, working at restaurants such as 27 Ocean Blue (Boca Raton), Company American Bistro (Las Vegas), Joël Robuchon (Las Vegas), and at The Mansion at the MGM Grand (Las Vegas).

Nanam Yoon Myszka

Nanam Yoon, of Seoul, Korea, attended the University of Nevada in Las Vegas for a degree in hospitality management. Before joining Epiphany Farms Enterprise, she pursued her interest in customer relations at the InterContinental Hotels Group (Dubai, UAE) and Samsung Electronics (Seoul, Korea).