Once a riverbed, our benchland Rutherford Estate is an organic, sustainable, integrated farming system that relies on each part of the ranch to contribute to the health of the whole. The estate has 74 acres of certified organic vineyards planted to Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. It is also home to our fruits, vegetables, beehives, and a growing flock of egg-laying poultry. Our diverse ranch defies the monoculture that reigns supreme in Napa Valley. Our chefs collaborate with our agricultural team to carefully select varieties that will thrive and provide the best selection for our restaurant and farmer’s market throughout the year.

The farm is bountiful right now. We are currently harvesting summer crops, including shishito peppers, candy-stripe figs, and heirloom tomatoes, as well as sauvignon blanc grapes. The agricultural team is always finding new ways to expand our sustainable farming program, and this year we have harvested our potatoes and sweet corn with horse cultivation. We are preparing for the fall season by planting our Brassica varieties including cabbage, broccoli, kale, and collards.

We checked in with our chefs and farmers to get their thoughts on the relationship between our farm and restaurant and what motivates them.

Rutherford property and vineyard
“There is a synergy between the farm and the restaurant. What comes from our farm, dictates what’s on our menu, so we grow purposefully. We create a year-long planting plan to provide for our fruit and vegetable needs for the entire year. We sit down and look through the seed catalogs and decide what varieties we want to grow and if we want to try new crops.
It’s more interesting to grow something that has a story behind it. We use a lot of heirloom varieties, which survived through seed programs, farmers markets or were passed on family to family. Tomatoes are a great example of this, with all the heirloom varieties seen today. Getting ahold of some of these seeds, it’s almost like lore, which makes it fun. Heirloom vegetables are not about everything being the same size and consistency, it’s all about flavor.”
– Stephen Barber, Executive Chef
Cherry tomatoes sourced from Long Meadow Ranch
“The feedback we get from our chefs is constantly improving what we do on the farm, and that is what allows us to continuously deliver a high quality product.
Planning is essential to what we do, nothing is random or accidental. We have a plan for our restaurant, farmers market, and Chef’s Table. Our goal is to provide the highest quality produce. For the restaurant that means, we pick in the morning and have it on your plate for lunch.”
– Joseph Hardin, Director of Agricultural Operations
Close up of herbs grown at the Rutherford greenhouse
“The farm is what defines the restaurant, and is the heart and soul of Long Meadow Ranch. Our farm influences the decisions we make in the kitchen because we focus on expressing the present moment, which means whatever is in season is what goes on the menu. Being able to choose what we grow and when to harvest it, gives us a huge advantage. Without the farm, we’re just another restaurant.”
– Kipp Ramsey, Farm to Table Manager