More than 20 years have passed since the Original Veggie Patty was born—humble, honest, natural and pure.

One freezing night in the winter of 1983, an ice storm was killing business at the Garden House, the little vegetarian restaurant owned by Paul Wenner in Gresham, Oregon.

To save the ingredients on that night's menu—rice pilaf, veggies, nuts, oats—Paul walked into the kitchen and began mixing them and baking them in loaves. The next day, he sliced the loaf, and served it in a sandwich with mustard, lettuce and tomato.

People liked it. The next day, Paul grilled up his concoction into patties and named it the "Gardenburger." And so, the great veggie burger was born, in the green foothills of Mt. Hood.

Paul was proud of the Gardenburger. His discovery continued the high standard he demanded from his restaurant: to serve the nutritional needs of people who wanted to live better, healthier lives while making the world a better place.

And now, here we are more than 20 years later, still talking about the original Gardenburger. That's a powerful patty.