Stone Brewing Co. Opens its Organic Farm to Public

Since reviving the property now known as Stone Farms in March 2011, Stone Brewing Co. has been busy cultivating and generating produce at the small organic farm in Escondido, California for its two farm-to-table restaurants: Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Escondido and Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens – Liberty Station. After more than two years of hard work and dedication, Stone Farms is finally ready for the public to stop by and check out what’s been growin’. Stone Farms is now open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day. To celebrate its public debut, Stone hosted an open house event at the farm on Saturday, June 22.

After a number of years in business, the former farming tenant of the property, a well-respected operation known as La Milpa Organica, was unable to stay in the black and sadly ceased operations in 2010. Stone co-founders Greg Koch and Steve Wagner didn’t want the valuable community resource to fade away, so they decided that Stone should step in and restore farming activities on the land. In a further masterful stroke of creative genius, they imaginatively renamed it Stone Farms.

Today, five acres of the 19-acre property is utilized as tillable land, which contributes all of its produce to the two Stone restaurants. Year-round crops grown at the farm include: salad mixes, a variety of braising greens, roquette arugula, chard, mustard greens, mizuna, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, amaranth, carrots, beets, onions, and radishes. Seasonal crops include: spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchini, and peppers. Stone Farms also raises chickens, ducks, and quail that produce eggs for garnishes, specialty dishes, and appetizer items. An on-site store offers pints and growler fills of fresh Stone beer from four taps, Stone Farms merchandise, and freshly picked organic produce.

“The farm is a wonderful complement to everything Stone creates and values, since both farming and brewing are crafts that require love and dedication,” says Stone Farms manager David Solomon. “The staff and I are extremely excited to finally share our hard work and the farm’s growth during the last two years. This project will help people understand why small, organic farms are important to have in our community.”