Estate & Acre
Ed. 001
Letter From the Land
A warm hello to you!
Welcome to Estate & Acre, our monthly dispatch from North 36 Farms.
Our little corner of the world is located just outside Nashville, TN. A few turns off the main road and just before your car crests over the big hill, you’ll come to our gravel driveway.
Out here, the days start slow. How slow? Slow enough to notice: the weight of the fog over the pasture, the shimmering of the dew on the fence posts, the way the cattle stir just before sunrise. These hills – now home to a new take on a storied ranch tradition – hold more than good soil. They carry generations of stories, of lessons passed down in porch conversations and post hole digging, and of the quiet conviction of those who’ve worked this land with care.
We do things differently here – not because it’s trendy, but because it's right. Ours is a farm where corners are not cut, hands aren’t afraid to get dirty, and every decision is made with future generations in mind. There’s an art to living – and working – like this. You might call it reverent or even sacred. We like to describe it as Wendell Berry once did: to farm is to dance with the rhythms of life.
There’s nothing “fast” about what we do. You won’t find mass-produced beef – or mass-produced anything – around these parts. This is brisket slow-smoking in the backyard. This is a bourbon poured neat on a porch swing while the sun sets behind a ridge. This is the way we used to do life but somewhere along the way, we traded the good life for the fast lane.
We think we’ve lost something worth hanging onto. We’re bringing it back, and we’re honored to have you building it with us.
Estate & Acre is our invitation to slow down and savor. Here you’ll find essays from Southern writers, our favorite recipes, toasts & playlists to anchor your meals, gift ideas, and other downright interesting stuff our team wants to share.
You don’t have to live on a farm to sense what’s percolating here. Whether you’re grilling in your city backyard or setting a table for friends in your suburban kitchen, this life – the good life – is waiting for you. One beautiful bite, one meaningful choice, one Sunday supper at a time.
Here’s to the moments that matter. To meat that’s raised with intention. To land that’s loved well. To making space for what’s real. And to all of us finding our way – acre by acre – back to what matters most.
From our land to your table,
The North 36 Farms Team
The Butcher's Block
Cut of the Month:
Denver Steak
Why It's Special:
How we finish it:
How to Cook:
Tender like a NY Strip, but often overlooked
Our signature grain blend for sublime marbling
High-heat sear,
2-minute rest, slice against the grain
Rigatoni with Bolognese Sauce
INGREDIENTS:
¾ pound North 36 Farms ground beef
4 oz prosciutto ham, finely diced
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups quartered, medium mushrooms
2 Tablespoons minced onion
2 Tablespoons minced carrot
2 Tablespoons minced celery
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Acme for North 36 Farms STK Blend
1 cup whole milk
1 cup dry white wine
1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes, packed in juice,
chopped fine with juice reserved
Fresh basil sprigs torn in 1” pieces
1 pound dry Rigatoni noodles
Servings: 4-6
METHOD:
Heat butter in a large, heavy bottomed sauce pot over medium heat. Add prosciutto, mushrooms, onion, carrots, celery and sauté until softened but not browned, about 6 minutes. Add ground beef, garlic and STK Blend seasoning. While the meat is cooking, continue to stir and break up the meat into crumbles.
Just as the meat loses its raw color, but has not yet browned, add milk and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer until milk evaporates and only clear fat remains, 10 to 15 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer, continue to simmer until wine evaporates, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and their juice and bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low. You want the sauce to simmer slowly so that just an occasional bubble or 2 comes to the surface. Continue this until the liquid has evaporated, about an hour.
About halfway through this final reduction, put on the stove a large pot with 4 quarts of water to cook the pasta. Add 2 Tablespoons of salt to the water (Celtic Grey & Acme for North 36 Farms Superior Salt Mix are 2 good options.) Once the water is boiling add in the dry Rigatoni pasta, stirring often. When the pasta is al dente, drain and return to the cooking pot. It is ok to have a little of the pasta water with the pasta in the pot. Add about 2 Tablespoons of butter to the cooked pasta and gently stir. Set aside until the sauce has finished reducing.
Once the pasta is finished, taste the Bolognese sauce, and add Acme for North 36 Farms Superior Salt Mix if needed.
Once the sauce has finished its last reduction and is naturally thicker, add in the pasta, and gently stir to coat the pasta. Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese and the torn basil leaves.
The Toast
In the rolling hills of Middle Tennessee, where connection grows as naturally as the grass beneath our feet, gathering around a table isn't just about the meal. It's about the moments that linger and last. At North 36 Farms, we believe in the harmony of tradition and innovation, and nothing captures this spirit quite like raising a glass to celebrate those who matter most.
We invite you to embrace this timeless tradition with family and friends, whether at our farm or around your own table. Here's one of our favorites, with a h/t to both Mary Oliver and Irish pubs.
Cheers!
Here’s to a long life and a happy one.
A quick death and an easy one.
A pretty girl and an honest one.
A cold beer and another one!
Here’s to this meal, this moment, this gathering. To slowing down, looking closely, and living our one wild and precious life. Let’s eat!
Game time
Playlist
It’s the ultimate game for unhurried afternoons and well-worn tables. Never played before? Trust us: you can learn! This set is compact enough to toss into a weekend bag but handsome enough to leave out on a picnic table or the porch. This set is made for real life: sun-dappled afternoons at the lake, rainy hours in the cabin, or golden hour games with kids sticky from s’mores. Roll well, play often.
This month's curated collection blends acoustic folk, gentle country, and ambient instrumental tracks, all selected to complement the rhythm of conversation and the savoring of seasonal flavors. Scan to stream our Farm Soundtrack for your own starlit gatherings.
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Travel Backgammon Board
Listen
Dinner Under the Stars
Tune in on Spotify:
The Good Stuff, Curated
This Month's Picks
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Read Now
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The Knife:
The Pour:
The Read:
The Sip:
New West Knifeworks — handmade
in Jackson, WY in the shadow of the Tetons
Brightland's Rosette Garlic Olive Oil — perfect drizzle for steak or salad
The Long Walk Across Japan —
602 miles on foot what else?
Pure maple syrup, smoked lightly with pecan wood. Made for whatever cocktail your bourbon-loving self can dream up!
At the End of the Lane
Meet Olivia. She's been a part of the North 36 family since Day #1 when we found her on a neighboring property. She had clearly been abandoned by her mother -- one of those hard, sad truths that comes with farming and that somehow your own heart never grows numb to. She was, to put it gently, on the brink.
We asked for permission to bring her home. Because the Farm is a family affair, our kiddos immediately christened her Olivia. We built her a little pen and started teaching her how to drink milk from a bucket. Morning and night, we showed up for her and she worked her way into the earliest rhythms of life on our farm. Day by day, she grew stronger in her own, quietly resilient way and, in the process, set the tone for everything we do here.
Today, she's thriving and the first to greet our team when we make our morning rounds through the pastures. She also reminds us that what we're building here isn't just about cattle. It's about doing things the right way, tending to small things with great love, and doing our part to leave things a little better than when we found them.
And, indeed, Olivia's story continues: She's expecting her first calf this November!
New Recipes on the Way
a Hint of What's to Come
Meet Olivia
