Farmstead exterior
Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch is a culinary epicenter that will delight any food enthusiast. Whether the interest is estate-grown wines, sustainable farming, artisanal goodies, culinary gardens or simply a laid-back, yet fine dining experience, there’s a unique experience available to indulge the senses.
LMR is a family-owned agricultural business producing estate-grown grapes and wine, olives and olive oil, grass-fed beef and lamb, fruits, vegetables and eggs. It began in 1989 when Ted and Laddie Hall purchased an estate in the Mayacamas mountains with the original intent of producing Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards in the mountains.
After much research into the history of the estate, the vision of what the estate could be, greatly expanded. The biodiverse ranch that existed in the late 1800’s, yet later abandoned, was an inspiration. With that, the Hall family started to replant vineyards, restore the olive orchard, and plant a robust vegetable garden. From the start, all crops were planted organically and with the principles of full-circle farming.
Today the small family operation has grown into a diverse, sustainable agricultural operation. The LMR family has grown vastly to include the original Long Meadow Ranch Mountain Ranch; the Long Meadow Ranch Rutherford Estate in Napa Valley; the Long Meadow Ranch Anderson Valley Estate in Mendocino; and Farmstead in St. Helena, which encompasses an American farmhouse restaurant, outdoor cafe, general store, and farmer’s market.
Farmstead burger with wine
Farmstead is celebrating a decade of seasonal ingredient driven American farmhouse cooking this year. Housed in a former nursery barn, the restaurant features an open kitchen, indoor and outdoor seating, as well as an overall lively, relaxed vibe and fun ambiance. Thanks to its proximity to the culinary bounty of Napa Valley, chefs, farmers, cattle, ranchers, winemakers, and restaurant managers are able to best galvanize local produce, meats and dairy in to an unforgettable dining experience.
Experiences at Farmstead include a quaint café situated underneath a lovely blue spruce tree offering a selection of house-made pastries, Oats-to-Go, paninis, salads, fresh juices, and Stumptown coffee. There’s the general store which features LMR’s award-winning wines, olive oils, and artisanal provisions that include pickles from the restaurant; small-batch whiskey bottles; seasonal treats and hand crafted gifts from Napa Valley craftspeople.
Farmstead cafe spread
And for those looking for take-home produce and more, there’s the farmer’s market which where you’ll still find Laddie Hall every week selling their seasonal organic produce, beef, honey, and more. Lastly, Farmstead offers a variety of wine tasting experiences inspired by the wine and food pairings at the restaurant.
We chatted with the LMR team about the restaurant’s anniversary and cuisine, full circle farming, the wine program and more. Here’s what they had to say.
Talk about how LMR became a pioneer of full circle farming. What is that exactly and why should others adopt this method?
LMR believes in full-circle farming because it’s the right thing to do, both for the environment, for the people that work our land, for the animals that live on our land, the people that consume our wine, olive oil and produce, and for the business.
LMR is a pioneer of full circle farming, an organic, sustainable, integrated farming system that relies on each part of the ranch to contribute to the health of the full operation. The entire cycle is targeted toward environmental conservation, through recycling, reusing, and reducing. Full-circle agricultural methods use all organic inputs, which means there are no synthetic fertilizers or chemicals being used in this process. The waste of one system becomes input for the next.
A full-circle agricultural system utilizes more ecologically sensible practices, and poses no harm to the environment. It’s a fully sustainable method of farming. Through practicing full circle farming, our land and crops are healthier and have a much more productive life than commercially farmed land. Plus, we do not have to purchase compost, we produce it.
In addition to over 200 acres of vineyards farmed organically, the biodiversity at Long Meadow Ranch includes 11 acres of olive groves for Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, over 500 varietals of organic heirloom fruits and vegetables, egg-laying poultry, grass-fed cattle, and honeybees that are hard at work pollinating the fruit trees, vegetable gardens, and vineyards, as well as producing Long Meadow Ranch’s delectable organic honey.
What's the inspiration for the cuisine at LMR? How much of what is produced by LMR is actually used in the food?
Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch is inspired by American cuisine and is rooted in the Hall’s family tradition of showcasing ingredients fresh from the farm, ranch, and vineyards. At Farmstead, Long Meadow Ranch’s connection to rugged mountain terrain, mineral-rich riverbed bench land, and the cool coastal air is tangible through the dishes and ambiance carefully curated by the Halls and artisans.
Farmstead interior
The menu at Farmstead is based on seasonal produce, much of which comes from the property. Long Meadow Ranch provides Farmstead with olive oil, honey, heirloom fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, and kale, as well as grass-fed beef and lamb.
How integral is the General Store to the LMR experience? Why is it something guests shouldn't miss?
The LMR General Store at Farmstead was designed to embody the Long Meadow Ranch experience at home by allowing visitors to taste in a laid-back environment and take products home with them. A key experience at the store is tasting wine! We have a variety of experiences to offer guests, most of which are welcomed without reservations.
At the General Store, visitors can explore the entire portfolio of products, including wines, olive oil, and seasonal provisions. Long Meadow Ranch also offers a small selection of local goods crafted by like-minded artisans.
Talk about the wine programming at LMR. What type of tasting experience do guests get at the tasting room? And how would you characterize the wines?
We produce elegant, balanced wines, which are truly complementary to food, that express authentic varietal character and the terroir of our distinctive properties by employing diversified, sustainable, and organic farming methods.
LMR has something for everyone with a wide variety of authentic experiences including multiple wine tastings ranging from casual to more structured and informative, our Live Fire Guest Chef series, our seasonal farmers market, musical performances, and more. All of these options allow our guests to come out to our property and truly experience what we are all about.
Looking forward to the next decade, what is in store for LMR?
In the next decade, Long Meadow Ranch hopes to continue with its current mission of providing “excellence through responsible farming,” by integrating new sustainable practices and ensuring products of the highest quality.
We also have many exciting new projects in the works including the lodge at Long Meadow Ranch in St. Helena, that will be adjacent to Farmstead, and an exciting new winery at our Rutherford estate.
