On this episode of Five Rules for the Good Life, I sit down with Kyle Knall, the Chef and Co-Owner of Birch and Culinary Director at Stone Bank Farm in Milwaukee, to talk about what it really means to work with farmers. From hugs at the market to crafting a menu around whatever’s thriving in the fields, Kyle lays out his Five Rules for Chefs who Work with Farmers. It’s about building trust, bringing hospitality to the fields, and treating farm-grown ingredients with the same care you’d give your guests. This isn’t a farm-to-table slogan; it’s a lived philosophy of sourcing, respect, and showing up for the people who feed us.
This one hit home. Supporting farmers isn’t just a nice gesture—it’s critical if you care about where your food comes from and who’s growing it. The local food economy depends on us showing up: asking questions, buying what’s in season, and cooking with intention. For me, the farmers market is one of the most inspiring places to start a recipe—it’s where the menu begins, not ends. Whether you’re a pro in the kitchen or just picking up some radishes for the weekend, connecting with your local growers helps you cook better and eat with purpose.
Photo Provided by Birch
Hello, and welcome to Five Rules for the Good Life. I’m your host, Darin Bresnitz. Today, I chat with Kyle Knall, the chef and co-owner of Birch and the culinary director at Stone Bank Farm in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He shares his five rules for chefs who work with farmers. He talks about the importance of knowing your farmer and their story, to let what’s at the farm dictate what you cook, and how hospitality at the restaurant should be extended to those who grow out in the fields. It is a fantastic conversation about the reciprocal relationship between those who grow and those who cook. So let’s get into the rules.
Kyle, so good to meet you. Thank you for taking the time out of your day, the restaurant and the farm, and sitting down with me for the show.
Excited to be here. Thanks for having me.
I know it’s a really tenuous time for farmers. What have you heard and experienced being on the ground in the Midwest?
First off, there’s always—this can sound negative, but it’s not—there’s always something. I don’t know if people actually realize that. We see farmers we work with three days a week, and it’s a rare thing for it to be just a perfect day for them because they have to deal with so many different variables—obviously rain, no rain, freezes, the crops getting eaten by deer. It’s just really tough every day, but especially now. I was actually in Washington DC two weeks ago talking about immigration and workforce. The people that were with me going to our representatives were dairy farmers. What they’re dealing with is just really insane. I’m worried about their workforce. It’s just a lot. Those things that are out of their control are really hurting them right now.
Being on both sides of that relationship—being a farm owner and a restaurant owner—what unique perspective do you have with the relationship between restaurants and farms?
To me, it’s hard to clarify what’s unique because I feel like it’s so normal for us. Stone Bank is the farm that we’re affiliated with. I am at the West Dallas Farmers Market three days a week. I hug these farmers three days a week. They come eat at the restaurant. They love my kids. It dictates what we do. I moved here from New York in 2020. For a long time, people were like, “Oh, how’s cooking in Milwaukee?” And the answer is it’s amazing because the agriculture is so incredible. We’re in vegetable and dairy heaven all the time. Being in this area of the country, getting to know these farmers really has dictated and helped us really do what we want in the restaurant and cook what we want.
It sounds like even with all the hardships, there is some hope. What’s a real bright spot for you right now in a farm-driven restaurant?
There’s always hardships. There’s always tough things. And I hate talking about tough things because there is so much great stuff. For us, we don’t have to worry about gas prices. We don’t have to worry about fees attached to big deliveries. We don’t have to worry about cooking things that don’t taste good. Being so connected to the farmers, seeing them throughout the week, knowing what’s coming, talking about what’s going to happen in the spring, what can be grown for us—those little things really are the huge pluses for us. Being a restaurant that uses so much farm-driven ingredients is really special because you’re not just financially supporting them, but you’re also supporting the community of people who make it up, which is why I’m so excited for you to share your five rules for chefs who work with farmers.
Anyone who’s gone to a farmer’s market for the first time can feel overwhelmed. You see these people, you don’t know who they are, you don’t know anything about them. Your first rule talks about the importance of getting to know who’s selling you different produce a little bit better to help you cook a little bit better. What’s your rule number one?
Rule #1: Know your farmer and their story.
At the market we go to, we’ve found ingredients through the seasons now for four seasons that are delicious from certain farmers. Let’s just say like Jerry has the best garlic. First off, he trusts us. He started growing us avocado squash in Milwaukee, Wisconsin three years ago. Now he sells hundreds of pounds of it to people that aren’t professional—go to the market, that’s just another item that is producing more money for him. That trust really goes both ways. When you say to Jerry, “You don’t grow Sun Gold tomatoes or corn? Who should I buy it from?” I love that. That’s like the inside line. Making conversation with farmers or people in markets is a very important part. It’s starting those conversations and then building that trust. And like I said, the trust goes both ways. They start to trust you, then they’re really going to tell you their secrets.
I have to imagine that trust is even more important when you’re a chef and a restaurant owner—when you have an idea for a menu and you go to the market and either it’s sold out or not available. And you have to listen to the farmer and to the merchant selling what they got, which is a big part of your rule number two.
Rule #2: Cook what the farm gives you, not what you wish it would give you.
I think most chefs need parameters. I can open up a cookbook tonight at home and say, “I want to make this tomorrow.” Sure, but are those ingredients there? We can cook whatever we want, so I think we need guidance and parameters to really follow. And that helps narrow down a clear vision and an identity. A chef’s job is to make sure food is delicious. So why would you not use the most delicious thing available to you? That’s the number two rule that we’re talking about. But in terms of who I am and what I do, that’s probably the number one. Going to the market and you’re looking for taste good. It’s just so many options. I know that I’ve been there and gone in with an idea of what I want to cook, but then I see that one parsnip or that one apple that goes, “I’m throwing everything out.”
Which is a core tenet of your rule number three.
Rule #3: Buy what looks good.
100%. Delicious food. I know. You come back, it’s like, “I thought we were doing eggplant parm.” It’s like, “No, we’re not. I saw something else.” Our goal at Birch, what we talk about—we’re privileged to be able to go to these beautiful markets and walk up and see this amazing looking produce on the table, taken care of by who grew it. Of course, we’re going to have to manipulate it a little bit. Our goal is to show that beauty off. Let that shine. If you’re going to buy something and man, the Swiss chard is super wilted—should I really be getting this? If the kale looks really crisp and nice—yeah, get the one that looks good because it’s going to taste better. The mentality as you’re touching it, cooking it, looking at it—you’re just going to feel better about what you’re making. Things that look good, they’re going to cook good.
When you go to the market, you’re buying things that are maybe sometimes in bulk and you want to be cognizant of not throwing any of it out. What is your rule number four?
Rule #4: Reduce waste of intentionally grown items.
Consider how to repurpose and find more of what you have. I have two kids. We cook at home. We definitely buy things that are in an abundance. Take what you need so you’re not having to waste anything—a whole head of cauliflower or two extra bunches of romaine or whatnot. But if you do, to me honestly, those second and third meals off ingredients—the better meals. Turning something that you’ve cooked into a soup. You buy a head of fennel and you just need to use a little bit for a salad. When you use the rest of that fennel for your next meal, I bet it’s going to be more delicious. It’s going to be something that you open the fridge and you’re like, “How can I use this?” To me, those things end up being more thoughtful and more delicious.
That respect, that understanding of the hard work that goes into growing all of this is really important. Because if you know how much sweat and labor goes into just a pea, a cherry tomato—something that you might just toss in the trash or take for granted—you lose a little bit of the perspective of what it means to be working at a farm. Your fifth and final rule talks about giving that respect and that acknowledgement of that hard work to the people who grow the food that we eat.
Rule #5: Hospitality should extend to farmers.
I love that. I worked for Danny Meyer for a long time. We always talked about your employees, your team members. The phrase to me has morphed. Your employees and your purveyors and farmers are one thing. Lynn from SynthGraph Farm, Michelle from Stone Bank, Jerry from Jerry’s Produce—we’re 100% teammates. It’s a complete cycle, meaning they’ll grow things specifically for us. We buy them, we cook them. In their head, they’re like, “Oh, we’re going to go there and eat dinner because we know that thought is being put into those ingredients.” So they’re in the dining room meeting. Last night, they were here. We trust each other so much, take care of each other so well. You’re buying ingredients that you need to be amazing. Why would you not be hospitable to those people? They’re going to be the ones who are doing something you want. So why not take care of them in the first place? The whole thought about hospitality or farmer—I think about just saying, “What’s up, Jerry? How’s it going? How are you today?” Give him a hug. Those little moments make everyone feel a little warmer inside and everybody needs that. And as a restaurateur, it’s something that the hospitality should never turn off. You just keep it rolling through the days with our employees, with our guests and everything.
Kyle, congratulations on everything. If people want to check out Birch or swing by Stone Bank Farm, how can they follow along? How can they get involved?
The easiest thing is follow my Instagram, @KyleKnallYall, because it’s so clever. My wife came up with it. Wonderful. Birch Unpleasant and Stone Bank Farm Market.
Excited for you guys. Excited that you’re supporting the restaurant community, the farm community, and that you’re out there helping out people who need help during this pretty tough time—that you’re supporting small businesses. Hopefully I’m in the Midwest soon enough and I can swing by the farm and swing by the restaurant for a little shopping and a meal.
Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks so much.
