Nestled in the Prescott National Forest lies TERRA Farm + Manor, a working farm and gourmand guest manor. This culinarian dream sets to redefine farm life with a luxurious, all-inclusive twist on traditional life in the American West.
TERRA Farm + Manor is in a secluded, off-the-grid location in Prescott, so guests meet at a dedicated rendezvous point where Cooper, the Ranch Manager, escorts you 30 minutes through the dirt roads onto the property.
“Welcome to the farm,” says Chef James Porter, as he greets guests on the front lawn while simultaneously popping a bottle of Champagne. Porter, an esteemed Arizona-based chef, launched TERRA Farm + Manor in 2019 with the mission to cater to luxury travelers with a passion for sustainable, gourmet dining.
While TERRA Farm + Manor sits on a sprawling 100 acres, each experience has roughly 10 guests with a capacity for 16, ensuring a truly serene and exclusive ambiance. Each stay starts with a hay-bale ride around the property so guests can get a lay of the land. The first stop is TERRA’s sustainable farm. Animals that roam the property include Wagyu cattle, Iberico pigs, French Copper Maran chickens, goats and Icelandic sheep. Then it’s off to the greenhouses, where you can quite literally eat everything in sight, from peppers and tomatoes to sunflower seeds. Porter encourages everyone to take a bite!
There is no shortage of things to do on the farm. Included in the itinerary are optional activities such as guided hikes and yoga classes with the ability to add-on experiences such as massages, a private meditation class or horseback riding. Take the time to explore the property on foot or by bike, stopping to visit the friendly farm animals and sprawling greenhouses. The manor also boasts a game room complete with darts and a pool table, a library filled with an impressive collection of Arizona Highways magazines and an array of yard games central to the guest rooms.
Meals are served three times a day with coffee and pastry service brought to your room, a farm-fresh egg breakfast, lunch on the patio, hors d’oeuvres hour and an intimate candle-lit dinner, all prepared by Chef Porter. Lunch and dinner are both served as coursed meals with respective wine pairings. Porter takes the time to explain each dish, and he just might stay to have a glass of wine. Many of the ingredients come straight from the farm, and when they are not, Porter opts for fresh, seasonal and sustainably sourced alternatives. The nights always end with a sobremesa, a Spanish tradition of relaxing after a meal by either the indoor or outdoor fireplace.
Each curated stay includes cooking classes taught by Porter himself in the TERRA Cookery, complete with top-of-the-line appliances by Wolf and Sub-Zero. Classes are taught at a slow pace, with pre-measured ingredients, or as Porter calls it, “mise en place” and cameras strategically placed over his cutting board so you can see exactly what he is doing. In addition, his culinary assistant will come over and give you one-on-one help if needed. You, of course, get to try each dish you create and go home with a recipe book to attempt to recreate all of the items yourself.
TERRA Farm + Manor offers select curated experiences and private manor buyouts. Rates are priced per person for either a 3-Day/2-Night Experience or a 4-Day/3-Night Experience; rates include accommodations, epicurean experiences, farm activities, meals, beverages, amenities, and resort fees. (Wellness services and guided experiences are excluded.) For more information, visit www.terrafarmandmanor.com.