Our Farm
Our 3.5 acre culinary garden sits on the St. Helena Montessori School and grows unique, seasonally appropriate crops using organic, sustainable techniques. Emphasis is placed on experimentation with new crops and varieties, growing and cultivation methods, and the utilization of all edible portions of the plant through its life-cycle. This production aims to cultivate a broader mission – serving as a direct relationship between the natural landscape, the food system, and the community. This relationship represents not only a respect for the garden as a part of the ecosystem but also the garden as an opportunity for inspiration, health, and education.
From The Farm
“The cold, wet and short days of mid-winter are the slowest days on the farm, at least relatively speaking in the year-round growing climate of the Napa Valley. While we are still busy harvesting and seeding crops for the future, a mere two percent of our total in ground crops are put in during the month of January. During this relative break in field work we stay plenty busy with rainy-day repairs to equipment and infrastructure while also re-evaluating and tweaking existing systems and procedures. This is also the time of the year that we sit down with the kitchen team to plan out the menu matrix and preservation plan for the upcoming year which allows us to finalize our crop plan and planting calendar. After all this planning it will be a big pivot to seed purchases, seeding and planting as we get into the later months of winter and early spring.”
- Zac Yoder, Farm Director