At the time, in 1984, Karen says, “Anderson Valley was not really on the map.” But thanks to her parents’ restaurant business, they were able to transfer much of their customer base to The Apple Farm. A decade later, when the Schmitts sold The French Laundry to Chef Thomas Keller in 1994, they moved to the farm. Sally began offering cooking classes that became a hit with guests — a tradition that Karen continues today with occasional “Stay & Cook” experiences for overnight visitors interested in preparing a farm-to-table meal. THE FARM REMAINS ONE OF THE FRENCH LAUNDRY’S PARTNERS, WITH THE FARM DELIVERING APPLES THERE. AND THE FARM’S LARGEST WHOLESALE PARTNER, VERITABLE VEGETABLE — A WOMEN-OWNED ORGANIC PRODUCE SUPPLIER BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO — DISTRIBUTES ITS FRUIT TO RESTAURANTS AND STORES AROUND THE BAY AREA.
While Don and Sally have both passed, and their kids aren’t kids anymore, the farm remains a family operation with Karen and Tim raising their children (also no longer kids) on the land. To date, four generations have called the farm home. And now, two of Karen and Tim’s daughters, Sophia and Rita, along with Rita’s husband Jerzy, work at The Apple Farm. “We’re all very much established on the land here, living and working here as if we will be here forever,” Karen says. As the farm has become embedded with the Bates family, food is still very much part of the farm’s DNA as it was when the family bought the property 40 years ago. The farm remains one of The French Laundry’s partners, with the farm delivering apples there. And the farm’s largest wholesale partner, Veritable Vegetable — a women-owned organic produce supplier based in San Francisco — distributes its fruit to restaurants and stores around the Bay Area.
On the farm itself, there are also plenty of opportunities for visitors to enjoy farm- to-table produce. In addition to Stay & Cook experiences, there are Saturday Suppers, a monthly dinner held on the second Saturday of each month from March through October with a menu made up of produce grown on the property and supplemented by what’s otherwise available locally and seasonally. The farm also has a farmstand where it sells apples, pears, and fresh cider during harvest season (July through November) and its processed foods during the rest of the year. These offerings, along with the cottages onsite that are available for guests to rent, are vital in funding the family’s efforts on the farm.
When the Bateses got there in 1984, the land needed a lot of work and over the years Karen, Tim, and their family committed to organic farming to benefit the health of the farm. Over the years, they’ve adopted certain biodynamic practices including applying biodynamic preparations to the soil to maintain its health. And today, the team makes compost and mixes organic cow manure with its kitchen and animal waste (the farm has goats and chickens raised on organic feed) that it uses to replenish the soil. Karen says following a closed-loop system like this is “a great goal” when it comes to making day-to-day decisions on the job. “Just keeping that framework in mind,” she adds, “I think it’s a really good guiding principle.”
TOP LEFT: SINCE 1984, THE LAND AND THE BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN INTEGRATED TOGETHER. TOP RIGHT: GOATS DINE ON ORGANIC FEED TO REPLENISH THE SOIL. BOTTOM: A COTTAGE AMONG THE APPLE TREES.
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ISSUE 01
FROM FARM TO CHEF’S TABLE
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