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Biltmore’s Farm-to-Table History Has Deep Roots

Written By Jean Sexton

Posted 8/1/25

Updated 7/30/25

Estate & Family History

Biltmore’s farm-to-table history has deep roots that were established long before the first guests arrived in 1895. By that time, the land was already being transformed—not just into manicured gardens and grounds, but into a working farm unlike any other.

For George Vanderbilt, the creation of Biltmore was about cultivating something lasting, something rooted. From stewarding thousands of acres of forest to raising livestock and harvesting vegetables, the estate’s early agricultural programs helped shape not only the daily life of the Vanderbilts but also the future of sustainable farming in America.

Today, our farm-to-table legacy continues to grow, nurtured by a commitment to quality, care, and the enduring belief that land, when well-loved, will give back for generations.

How our farm-to-table history began

Archival image of men cutting hay at Biltmore.
Archival photograph of estate workers harvesting hay at Biltmore.

In 1889, George Vanderbilt and famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted stood at the edge of a vast, overworked site that was slated for transformation into Vanderbilt’s private retreat. Rather than simply tame the land into perfect gardens and grounds, they imagined something bolder: an estate that would restore the soil, support local families, and serve as a model of agricultural innovation.

Olmsted offered a straightforward plan: “Farm your river bottom chiefly to keep and fatten livestock with view to manure and make the rest a forest.”

With barns, stables, orchards, greenhouses, and thousands of acres under cultivation, Biltmore quickly became a living example of responsible land use. Its mission was threefold: to feed the estate, to generate income through the sale of farm products, and to serve as a model for best practices in agriculture.

Farm-to-table foods

Farm-to-table Biltmore Dairy products including butter, milk, cottage cheese, and eggs.
Biltmore Dairy and farm products including butter, milk, and eggs.

By the mid-1890s, Biltmore was producing everything from dairy and poultry products to vegetables, grains, and honey. Estate-grown produce was served at the family table and sold to the surrounding community at wholesale prices.

An 1897 advertisement in the Asheville Daily Citizen offered estate-grown cabbage and three varieties of sweet potatoes. Another article praised Vanderbilt’s use of “brains and science,” predicting Biltmore’s gardens would soon compete with the finest farms of the Northeast.

The gardens weren’t just functional. They were thoughtfully designed and carefully managed. The Walled Garden, originally intended for vegetables, was instead transformed into the flower-filled paths that welcome you today, while the estate’s most fertile bottomland near the Swannanoa River became the site of Biltmore’s new market garden, anchored by a charming farm cottage.

Market Gardener’s Cottage

Archival photo of estate workers and residents with farm-to-table foods at the Market Gardener's Cottage at Biltmore.
Agricultural workers and estate residents at the Market Gardener’s Cottage, photographed in front of an elaborate display of estate-raised produce.

The Market Gardener’s Cottage, designed by Richard Howland Hunt, son of Biltmore House architect Richard Morris Hunt, overlooked rows of crops and served as the residence of George Stevenson Arthur, Biltmore’s first market gardener, and his family.

From this cottage, Arthur managed planting schedules, tested new techniques, and worked tirelessly to ensure that Biltmore remained at the forefront of agricultural innovation. Over time, the surrounding courtyard became a hub for sorting and packing produce and welcoming local merchants to purchase estate-grown goods.

The Market Gardener’s Cottage was more than a residence. It was the nerve center of Biltmore’s early farming success and an important piece of our farm history.

Restoring a landmark of farm history

Restoration of the Market Gardener's Cottage at Biltmore.
The Market Gardener’s Cottage required extensive cleanup and restoration after Tropical Storm Helene in September, 2024.

In September 2024, Tropical Storm Helene brought historic flooding to Western North Carolina. Among the hardest-hit areas of the estate was the Market Gardener’s Cottage. Positioned near the Swannanoa River, the cottage sustained extensive damage as floodwaters reached its second floor.

“Mud, debris, and trash were deposited in and on the cottage and throughout the courtyard,” said Vince Helton, Senior Director of Facility Operations.

As a contributing structure to Biltmore’s National Historic Landmark designation, the cottage represents a tangible link to the estate’s past. After the storm, Biltmore’s preservation experts quickly got to work—removing debris, cleaning and repairing drains, and stripping damaged interiors to prevent further decay.

Biltmore also partnered with a firm specializing in historic preservation to develop a long-term restoration plan that honors the building’s original design while introducing strategies to help mitigate future storm damage.

“Restoring the Market Gardener’s Cottage is about more than preservation,” Vince added. “It’s about protecting a vital chapter in Biltmore’s agricultural legacy.”

Biltmore® Grown: a farm-to-table legacy

Biltmore Grown products such as cornmeal, grits, and honey are available in estate shops and online, while fresh and frozen cuts of meat are available exclusively at Gate House Shop at the estate’s main entrance.

More than a century after the first harvest, Biltmore’s farm-to-table philosophy remains central to daily life on the estate.

Across 2,500 acres of pasture and farmland, Black Angus cattle, Berkshire hogs, Dorper sheep, goats, and chickens are raised with care. In nearby hydroponic greenhouses, lettuces, herbs, and edible flowers flourish, grown in deep water cultures for vibrant flavor and peak freshness. At the apiary, estate honey is harvested by our fifth-generation beekeeper.

These fresh, seasonal ingredients find their way to estate restaurants every day, while a selection of Biltmore® Grown products is available at estate shops and online.

Savor farm-to-table flavor with Biltmore wines

Part of our farm-to-table program, Biltmore has vineyards near Long Valley Lake on the west side of the property.
Biltmore’s estate vineyards overlook Long Valley Lake on the west side of the property.

In addition to the pastures and fields, Biltmore has a 50-acre vineyard on the west side of the estate. Varietals including Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot that can thrive in Western North Carolina are hand-harvested and transformed into our outstanding Biltmore® Reserve wines that represent the finest vintages created from our North Carolina estate-grown grapes.

“Whether we’re working in the vineyard or handcrafting Biltmore wines at the estate’s Winery, we’re always thinking about how to tell the estate’s farm-to-table story,” said Sharon Fenchak, Executive Winemaker. “It’s not just about what’s in the glass—it’s about where it came from, who cared for it, and how it connects to the land.”

Our farm-to-table story continues

Woman carrying a tray of farm-to-table plants in Biltmore's greenhouse.
Our farm-to-table story continues today with innovations like vegetables, herbs, and flowers grown in hydroponic greenhouses.

Biltmore’s agricultural journey began with a belief in the stewardship of land, people, and heritage. Today, that philosophy lives on in every field turned, every vine pruned, and every sip and bite savored in our estate restaurants or purchased online.

Whether you’re exploring the gardens, walking the grounds where crops once grew, enjoying farm-to-table foods at one of our restaurants, or staying overnight in one of our private and historic Cottages on Biltmore Estate™, you are part of the story.

Biltmore is more than a working farm or a historic house; it is a place where legacy is not only preserved but continually planted.

Farm to Table Tour and Taste

Farm to Table Tour and Taste: Black Angus cattle graze in a field with Biltmore House in the distance behind them.
Our Farm to Table Tour and Taste offers a look at our farm history and today’s agricultural operations.

Come experience the flavors, stories, and soil that make Biltmore a place unlike any other. Make the most of your visit with our Farm to Table Tour and Taste, which offers a fascinating glimpse into our farming history through a tour of the estate’s rarely seen west side agricultural operations, plus an opportunity to savor our farm-fresh, estate-grown artisanal fare and handcrafted wines.

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