If you've ever been to Pearl Morissette, Ontario's only two-Michelin-star restaurant, you're likely familiar with Shane Harper, the eye-patched gardener and self-proclaimed "chef de farm."
Despite his relative ease in the gardens, where he feeds chickens, guides guests on tours, and occasionally swears at his crops, Harper hasn't always been a gardener.
Once a celebrated pastry chef who worked in kitchens like Langdon Hall and New York's Le Bernardin, Harper's career took an unexpected turn when he developed Miller Fisher syndrome, a rare neurological illness that affected his vision, balance and sense of taste.
After stepping away from professional kitchens, he began growing vegetables on his Toronto balcony before eventually building the regenerative garden at Restaurant Pearl Morissette in Lincoln, where ingredients are harvested just steps from the kitchen.
Now, his remarkable journey is the subject of Pirate Produce, a new documentary directed by Sandy Chronopoulos. Premiering at Devour! The Food Film Fest in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, on October 23, the film explores Harper's unconventional path from pastry chef to gardener and his changing relationship with food.
Watch the trailer below to discover Harper's incredible story.
