Time to Reap the Harvest

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Agritourism is the centuries-old branch of hospitality centered around farm experiences. (Especially for city folk anxious to escape their noisy, hot, congested urban lives.) WOOFing (Working Weekends on Organic Farms), established in the ‘70s, was a way for Londoners to have affordable vacations; agriturismo in Italy helped small-scale farmers offset costs and create jobs in rural areas; farm stays in the United States became popular with the advent of the road trip. Universally, agritourism lets people reconnect to the land and learn to appreciate growing, making, and enjoying nature’s bounty. 

Beyond gentleman farming and cottagecore fantasies, vacationers who spend time on a farm are choosing a more sustainable travel experience. Eco boutique inns and working farm retreats address local agricultural history, climate concerns, and memorable food experiences while making the most of the land — and making guests care about it, as we learned on recent trips where we:   

• plucked grapes at a family winery in Healdsburg
• cooked from ingredients grown on 1250 golden acres in Sicily
• inhaled everything on the menu at a lavender farm in New Mexico 

Slowing Down Among the Vines in Healdsburg

California here, exploring my namesake state. There’s nothing more exciting than foraging for your own food in the wild. There is something so peaceful about slowing down and paying attention to nature’s process. Several years ago on a trip to Asheville with Pavia, I experienced my first foraging adventure. I slowly walked through the forest collecting spring onions, acorns, and searching for Earth’s golden ticket, wild mushrooms. In search of this feeling once again, I recently headed north to Healdsburg, 60 miles from San Francisco in the heart of Sonoma wine country. 

For the last 130 years, two nearby valleys proved to have ideal conditions for making wine: the Russian River Valley for pinot noir and chardonnay, and the Alexander Valley for cabernet and merlot. However, while grapes most often steal the show in this region, they aren’t the only thing harvested in the valley. 

Montage Healdsburg, set on 258 verdant acres abundant with California oaks, eucalyptus trees, and vineyards, is pioneering new opportunities for guests to harvest on land and along the Pacific coastline. Guests are invited to forage for honey with the local apiarist behind Sonoma County Bee Company to learn about bee migration and taste honey directly from the hives. Guests can also venture to the Sonoma coast (less than an hour away) with Strong Arm Farm to learn how to pick edible seaweed directly from the ocean, which is abundant with over 640 edible native species. Recently, the hotel also partnered with Stephanie Jarvis of Pacific Truffle Growers to oversee the hotel's onsite hazelnut orchard, with hopes of future foraging excursions alongside their truffle-hunting canine ambassador, Beau, to forage for truffles (they tend to sprout near the tree roots) and bring them back to the chefs for generous pasta shavings at that night's dinner.

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