The Bees in Winter: A Parable for Tough Times

If you haven’t already heard the story of Herman Miller’s wasp-defeating, wildflower pollinating, incredibly productive honey bees, you should check out this sweet video. If you know about the 24 busy hives located on the grounds of our GreenHouse facility–an award-winning “ecologically intelligent” manufacturing site–I’m here to tell you about what those bees do during long West Michigan winters when Black-Eyed Susans are scarce on the ground.

The GreenHouse hives are maintained by a local beekeeper who also has an operation in Georgia. In autumns past, Herman Miller’s bees were transported to the Peach State, where they could continue to produce the quantities of honey that are the happy side effect of a pesticide-free solution to an aggressive paper wasp problem. But, as for many human residents of northern climes, a recessionary economy and high fuel costs have conspired to keep the GreenHouse bees home this winter.

So while workers inside the seating operations plant continue to weather tough economic times, their apian counterparts outside form big, shivering clusters in their snow-covered hives. Worker bees take turns at the warm center (around 80 degrees F) and the chilly outer edges (46-48 degrees F)–so all can survive.

Recipe of the Week from Marigold Lodge: Chocolate Delight

Ring in the New Year with a delicious dessert! During the month of December, we shared with you our signature Pita Chips recipe, followed by Carrot Ginger Soup and Pork Tenderloin as part of a recipe series from the kitchen of Marigold Lodge. Chocolate Delight is a nice finish for 2009 and a welcome start for 2010.

Chocolate Delight
Serves 6.

1½ cups milk     
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips  
2 eggs      
¼ cup sugar
Pinch of salt
Whipped cream
Pecans
Fresh berries

Pour milk into heavy saucepan and heat to boiling. Combine chocolate chips, eggs, sugar, and salt in blender.

Pour in hot milk, then blend at low speed for 1 minute, or until smooth. Pour into 6 custard cups, then chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Serve with whipped cream and chopped pecans and fresh berries.

Recipe of the Week from Marigold Lodge: Pork Tenderloin

This is the third recipe in a series from the kitchen of Marigold Lodge. We already served up our signature Pita Chips, followed by Carrot Ginger Soup. Now for the entree.

Pork Tenderloin Wrapped in Pancetta with Pinot Noir Glace
Serves 8.

6 pork tenderloins
1 ½ lbs. sliced pancetta
2 c. Pinot Noir
2 c. veal glace
1 can cannellini beans
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 large bunch red Swiss chard, ribs removed
White truffle oil
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Pinot Noir Glace
In a medium sauce pan, add Pinot Noir and veal glace. Over medium heat,  reduce liquid by half. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm.

Pork Tenderloin
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove silver membrane from tenderloin fillets. Wrap pancetta around fillets and secure with toothpick.

In a large skillet, add 2 T. olive oil and sear tenderloin fillets on both sides. Place on a sheet pan and place in oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven; allow tenderloin to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Remove excess oil from skillet and add tomatoes, beans, and Pinot Noir glace. Reheat and keep warm.

In a small skillet, add 1 T. olive oil and Swiss chard. Cook until chard begins to wilt. Ladle Pinot Noir glace onto warm plates and place Swiss chard on top of the glace in the center of the plate.

Remove toothpicks from the pork and slice, placing three to four pieces on top of the chard. Drizzle with truffle oil, garnish, and serve.

Recipe of the Week from Marigold Lodge: Carrot Ginger Soup

This is the second recipe in a series from the kitchen of Marigold Lodge. Last week we shared our signature Pita Chips recipe with you. Now, onto the soup: Carrot Ginger Soup garnished with sour cream, finely chopped carrots, and a sprig of parsley.

Carrot Ginger Soup

6 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, diced
¼ cup ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
7 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
1 ½ lbs carrots, peeled & large diced
1 tbsp curry paste (optional)
¼ cup fresh lemon juice

On low heat melt butter in stock pot; add onions, ginger, and garlic. Sweat on low for 5 to 10 minutes. Add stock, wine, and carrots. Increase to medium heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, or until carrots are tender. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour soup into blender; blend until smooth. Add pureed soup back into pan and bring back to heat. Add curry paste, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve.

Recipe of the Week from Marigold Lodge: Pita Chips

Just in time for your holiday appetizer tray, here’s the recipe from Marigold Lodge for our delicious pita chips. Pita chips have become a Marigold tradition and accompany each meal served there.

Watch for another recipe from Marigold Lodge next week!

Marigold Lodge Pita Chips

1 package pita pocket bread
½ pound butter, melted
Lawry’s seasoned salt to taste

Cut pita pockets into wedges. Peel layers of pita apart.

Lay pita on a sheet pan, rough side up. Brush each piece with melted butter. Sprinkle each piece lightly with seasoned salt.

Bake pita at 350 degrees Fahrenheit in a convection oven 8 – 10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Note: For best results convection oven should be used for baking.

Finding a Way to Show You Care

In 24 cities across the U.S. and Canada, for the 13th year in a row, Herman Miller folks joined with architects, designers, and suppliers—from over 200 firms—to bring children a day of seasonal good cheer. They helped kids from local Boys and Girls Clubs have fun and make holiday gifts for their loved ones—everything from tree ornaments to sand vases to holiday placemats. It’s a great tradition, and one you might want to be a part of. Contact us to find out about a We Care event near you or look for other opportunities in your city. Happy holidays!

Inside Marigold Lodge

In September we shared with you the history of Marigold Lodge and how the home became a part of Herman Miller. We thought we’d show you more of the lodge—and the other buildings that share the property—since Marigold is such a special place to the Herman Miller community. Take a tour through our slide show to see what our guests experience when they visit.

The lodge has eight bedrooms on the second floor, including those of the Gold family. Throughout the home, pieces from the family’s collection decorate the space, including Herman Miller furniture made in the 1930s, before our founder, D.J. De Pree, met Gilbert Rohde.

Other accommodations are located in the Smokehouse (formerly the barbecue house), the Ice House, and the Carriage House. Altogether, Marigold has 21 guest rooms.

Marigold also offers meeting space in the Learning Center, which has four conference rooms, as well as touchdown spaces, group spaces, and a patio. And the Boathouse offers one conference room that easily accommodates a small group.

No matter what the season, Marigold is a treat to visit, whether you’re our guest from out of town or an employee of Herman Miller. Everyone receives a warm welcome in a beautiful environment.

Putting Creativity and Herman Miller Materials to Good Use for the Holidays

If you visit Herman Miller’s Design Yard facility in November or December, you’ll notice the “Stocking Workshop” signs that lead to the warehouse where, for the fourth consecutive year, employees are volunteering their time to make 150 Christmas stockings for the Holland Rescue Mission. Make that 350 stockings—since Love, INC just requested 200 more. Both organizations work toward meeting unmet needs of individuals and families.

These volunteers are spending lunch hours, evenings, and even weekends cutting, sewing, and decorating the stockings, which are made from Herman Miller’s roll-end fabrics or materials used in testing. Some people even sew stockings throughout the year in anticipation of this event.

The Holland Rescue Mission and Love INC give residents stockings for their families, as well as access to donated items to fill them. It’s one way to make the holiday season a little brighter for local families.

Herman Miller Picnic Posters: From Aba to MoMA

As head of Herman Miller’s creative crew, Steve Frykholm has shaped the company’s image for nearly 40 years and won plenty of recognition for it. But his love of poster making began with a stint in Aba, Nigeria, where he worked in the Peace Corps. The journey his posters took eventually landed them in the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Read more

The Watercarrier Tradition

Watercarrier sculpture by Native American artist Allan Houser

Last Monday, in an annual celebration, we welcomed 92 new Watercarriers at Herman Miller. This tradition began in 1987 with Max De Pree, CEO at the time, who came up with the idea of honoring employees with 20 years of service. Of course it’s also an obligation for these people to pass on their experience and knowledge to younger people. This year, our chairman of the board, Mike Volkema, made just this point in his talk to the group. What made it all really meaningful for me: I became a Watercarrier. I must say, I felt honored and obliged—and I was reminded again of what a great community we have at Herman Miller.