Peachy the Magazine October/November 2013 | Page 44

The Fall Harvest Feast inspired his love of food. She also rooted him in the honest preparation of it. Once in college and having to fend for himself, he began experimenting with his own style of cooking. While at school, he met his wife Pam, and together they became quite renowned for their little dinner gatherings, long before the Food Network came along and made cooking cool. Bruce simply enjoyed his time in the kitchen. It was a release, a way to decompress, and to connect creatively with something he loved. However, food was put on the back burner for a time as he finished school and spent the next 14 years in the world of finance. Despite success, he was deeply unfulfilled. In 2001, he was done. He had to make a life change. Living in Florida at this point, he opened Chives, his first restaurant. It didn’t start out farm to table, but Bruce had a natural curiosity about where his food was coming from and who was growing it. In 2007, he began visiting local farms and buying from them directly. “It just made sense,” he says. “Why would I buy something shipped in from 1,000 miles away?” He opened several more restaurants in Florida, before ultimately deciding to move back to his roots. It was in Texas 44 PEACHY that Bruce became doubly committed to his local food mission. He notice that while there were several high-end restaurants serving regionally sourced food, there was nothing casual. He didn’t like that people had to dress up and go out to eat a good meal. This dissatisfaction is what inspired FM Provisions. Bruce set out to connect to the farmers around Dallas, looking for the farms that would give him “full disclosure.” He was surprised by how eager and willing they were to invite him out to see the dirt, the seeds, the crops, and how they were being cared for. Bruce also connected with a local rancher who was committed to taking the time to do things the healthy and ethical way. Everything free range and grass fed. He was finally set to launch his vision.