alt=Today Stone Brewing Co. announced the launch of another new adventure: Stone Farms, a new small-scale farm that will supply organic and sustainable produce to be used at the Stone Brewing World Bistro & Gardens. The farm will also function as a source of educational field trips for local schools, a venue for special events and potentially as land for hop growth! (Hops would be more for fun, but hey, we could still watch them grow a bit today.) 

Saving the Farm

The 18-acre farm is nestled off of Protea Gardens road in Escondido, CA. The previous owners provided some of the produce used at Stone World Bistro & Gardens, but unfortunately had to shut down and put their land up for lease. The timing ended up working out, as President and Brewmaster Steve Wagner put it, “When faced with the risk of losing this local gem, I knew we had to step in and save it.”

The Man Behind the Farm

We had the pleasure of chatting with Farm Manager Mil Krecu, who left Yugoslavia and his bureaucratic career for Los Angeles and a considerably more enriching and rewarding profession on a farm. Mil worked with friends on their farm on the weekends, returning to his weekday 9 – 5 job refreshed and renewed. After two years, he left his office job behind and began working on the farm full-time.

Mil is a perfect candidate to manage and oversee the farm. As a strong supporter of the Slow Food movement and founding member of the Tierra Miguel Foundation, he understands and advocates ethical eating and is a big supporter of Stone Brewing Co.’s ways. “The emphasis that Stone Brewing puts on the quality of their beer and food, as well as their impact on the environment, is nothing short of inspiring,” Mil tells us.

The farm has some hens running amok, but they aren’t for eating, just for eggs. The farm is expected to be up and operational a year from now currently up and running (thanks Jacob!) and is just one of Stone Brewing Co.’s many big projects progressing through 2013.

Where?
Stone Farms
9928 Protea Gardens Rd.
Escondido, CA 92026

Additional Information
http://www.stonebrew.com