The Rural We: Kristen Essig
The award-winning chef has recently landed in Millbrook to serve as culinary director at Stonewood Farm.
Rural Intelligence is happy to be among the first to welcome Kristen Essig to the region. The award-winning executive chef moved to the Hudson Valley just two weeks ago and is pinching herself for her good fortune. She’s the new culinary director at Stonewood Farm in Millbrook, a not-for-profit organization with a mission to improve local food access, train farmers, and create a more vibrant, healthy community. It does this through partnerships with organizations like Meals on Wheels, churches, a volunteer program, and dinners and classes on the farm. “This is a job of a lifetime,” Essig says. “I can’t believe it’s real.”
I was born and raised in Florida, and always knew I was going to work in the culinary field. I went to Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, and while still a student in the culinary program, received a job offer from Chef Emeril Lagasse. I convinced him I needed to finish school, but then I moved to New Orleans and worked with him at his restaurant and others’. I also worked with and managed farmers markets, owned a few restaurants and did catering. It was an amazing 23-year journey.
When the pandemic came, I sold my shares of my business to my ex-partner, and was asked to move to Washington, D.C. to work at Dauphine’s, a New Orleans-inspired restaurant there. After two years, I decided to leave, although I’m still consulting with Dauphine’s, helping to create ideas and content, but leaving the execution to the team.
I didn’t know what I was going to do next, but I wanted to do something a little more low key. I planned to go on a whirlwind tour of the U.S. when I found Canoe Hill on Istagram. It’s a restaurant and market in Millbrook that sold produce from Stonewood Farm, a magical organic farm. Two weeks later, the farm posted that they needed a culinary director, so I applied ad got the job.
Stonewood Farm is such an amazing place. It’s a good example of people committed to what they’re doing and being stewards of the place they live; the owners truly believe in caring for their neighbors. We want people with any issues of food insecurity to have the same access to food as everyone else.
My first year is a building year, so my job is not 100% defined, but I serve as a liaison and handle the logistic to the restaurants we sell to. We host fundraising gatherings — five guest chef dinners a year, and five cooking classes in a season. The purpose is to raise money for the nonprofit farm, but also show people how to use the vegetables grown here.
I love being organized; I thrive on spreadsheet creation. I’m making a neighboring vendor/farm spreadsheet. The amount of cheese produced here and the access to raw milk is so exciting. I’m so in love with Stonewood Farm and the Hudson Valley.
