Driving into Park City on State Highway 224, you pass a collection of buildings and other structures that blend beautifully into the mountainside, and at night is lit up with a gorgeous array of thousands of colored Christmas lights. It’s pretty spectacular. But then, pretty much everything restaurateur Bill White builds is pretty spectacular, from his flagship Main Street restaurant Grappa, and Billy Blanco’s out in Pinebrook, to this ambitious new project: Bill White Farms.
A few years ago, what is now Bill White Farms was a property that White had attempted to purchase a number of times without success. Dating back to Park City’s mining era, it mostly consisted of rundown buildings and sheds― frankly, somewhat of an eyesore. But today, having finally had success in purchasing the property from Steve Hixson, Bill White Farms is a state-of-the-art, multi-use complex consisting of crops, orchards, greenhouses, a fish pond, outdoor gardens, meeting and office spaces, beehives, hydroponic gardens, duck ponds, a market/farm stand, and event and dining venues. Although the acreage isn’t gigantic, Bill White doesn’t do anything in a small way.
For White, however, the crux of Bill White Farms is its community outreach and nonprofit mission. For example, Bill White Farms provides the food, staff and venue for nonprofit benefit dinners that he hosts. These are dinners for up to 30 guests wherein various nonprofit organizations use funds raised from the dinners for their nonprofits. The participating nonprofits keep 100 percent of the funds raised. Says White, “This is not designed [for us] to make money; this is designed to help the community. I donate the dinners; the labor, the food, and the charity that sponsors the dinners receives the money.”
White has also partnered with organizations such as the Christian Center of Park City to provide free cooking demonstrations, teaching kids and adults alike how to cook nutritious, affordable, delectable meals. Bill White Farms then provides attendees with free dinner from the recipes used during the cooking demos. In addition, Bill White Farms’ Farm-to-Pantry program directly benefits the community by donating fresh produce from the Farm to the local food pantry. According to Bill White Farms, “Our nonprofit mission is to sustain our community through food. We’re growing it, we’re sharing it with people in our community who need it, and kids from all over the county are learning about farming through our education programs.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced temporary restaurant closures, including Bill White’s, but he’s not one to sit and brood. Rather, he and his team at Bill White Enterprises have created an entirely new menu at Windy Ridge Bakery, featuring online ordering and curbside pickup service. Over at Bill White Farms, they’ve implemented online ordering from the Farm Stand with farmside pickup.
Farm Stand customers can order for pickup a dizzying array of high quality foodstuffs, from fresh mahi mahi and sustainable halibut, salmon and scallops, to beef tenderloin grilling kebabs prepared by Chimayo chef Arturo Flores, fresh produce, Chimayo gazpacho, farm fresh eggs, Bill White Farms meatloaf, take-home pizza, burger and taco kits, Billy Blanco smoked spareribs, Chimayo duck enchiladas, and dozens of other items. There’s a bevy of baked goods to-go, including homemade dog biscuits.
Carnivores will particularly enjoy the high-quality, natural Earthganic beef from Bill White Ranches, which is also available at the Farm Stand. Fresh cuts include ground beef, pork sausage, ribeye steak, sirloin steak, New York Strip, fajita beef, skirt/flat iron steak, sirloin tip roast, hanger steak, beef brisket, tenderloin, tri tip, rump roast, beef back ribs, short ribs and chuck roast. Need potted flower plants or tomato starts? They’re at the Farm Stand, too.
It is gratifying to see someone who has had such success―as Bill White has had in Park City―giving back to his community with nonprofit programs, and now, helping to feed his neighbors during difficult times and social distancing with online ordering and designated pickup spots at the Bill White Farm Stand. It’s a glowing example of doing well by doing good.
