Update: Since this article’s original publication, Southall Farm & Inn has officially opened and is accepting reservations!
Driving up to Southall Farm & Inn, I was met with warm smiles, enticing scents, and butterflies everywhere. Seriously. They were everywhere. Then swooped in Graham Stanley, Southall’s Director of Sales and Marketing, to whisk me off in what I can only describe as an off-road golf cart for a comprehensive tour of the 325-acre property, all set to accept reservations starting this December.
This early rendering will fully come to life in the coming months. Reservations can be made now for December 1, 2022, onward HERE.
Southall epitomizes a new trend of Southern hospitality — one that emphasizes a choose-your-own-adventure stay within a nature-forward setting, all with the luxury tastes and trimmings of a five-star hotel. Come along with me as I share the Southall magic, and get ready to open a new tab to immediately book a stay.
Words and static images cannot do Southall Farm & Inn justice — but keep reading. The images are completely swoon-worthy and just enough to hold us over until they open their doors.
A farm first, a resort next
Southall is a farm-based resort project between Franklin and Leiper’s Fork, Tennessee. Across its 325 lush acres, you’ll find row crops, flower gardens, animal pastures, greenhouses, an orangery, an orchard, more than five miles of wooded hiking/biking trails, and six apiaries. Nature’s colors are everywhere, and anything man-made is intentionally designed to keep the focus on the natural landscape.
Chickens play a vital role in the health of this farm. They manage insects, spread fertilizer, remove mammal parasites, and provide tasty fresh eggs.
A creek meanders through the property, and a seven-acre lake was built for regenerative water retention. “The water goes to the orchard, the production fields, and all over the property. It’s cool that we can kayak, paddleboard, and fish here, but those were secondary to its main purpose of water conservation,” Graham says as I ogle the picturesque lake from the stone-clad Orchard Event Ballroom terrace.
Passionate about water conservation, founder Paul Mishkin wanted Southall’s irrigation to be self-sufficient and disconnected from municipal water supply whenever possible. Rainwater is collected from roofs, gutters, and land terracing, and then it goes directly into this man-made lake for irrigation.
Southall has already cemented itself as a lauded, ecologically minded working farm. From the Monticello-style flower gardens and hand-tooled row crops to the state-of-the-art greenhouse techniques, the entire spectrum of true, sustainable farming is represented here.
A full-time Pollination Program Manager (yes, that’s his title) tends to four million bees who produce more than 1,000 pounds of award-winning honey yearly.
This honey, which I was able to try, won a Good Food award for best honey in the Southeast!
Southall combines science-driven farming techniques with centuries-old farming philosophies from over a century ago, growing myriad heirloom varietals chosen by partnering chefs and farmers.
In the best way possible, the resort is second to the farm, which is undeniably apparent at every turn. “What we are is authentic,” Graham says. “Things happen. Things freeze. Deer get in. It’s been really fun to see everyone adapt to the elements.” Experts in every farm-related discipline are on the ground, literally nourishing the land that nourishes Southall.
Southall is an eight-year-long passion project realized
Southall is the brainchild of Chicago-based finance guru Paul Mishkin. He started with the idea of building an idyllic farm to live on with his wife, Laura. Eight years later, it’s become a more significant project than anyone dreamed. Paul and Laura, like the rest of us, look forward to being guests at Southall. He’s hired the best of the best for each role, and let the team really run wild with ideas and activations.
Paul created Southall to create a nourishing community for everyone — from his team to the guests. “Anyone can be a part of what we grow, how we care for it, and how we serve it up,” he writes in his Founder’s Story.
His expertly assembled team of visionaries and professionals — from farmers to meat curers to beekeepers — has created a self-sustaining and intricately multifaceted farm that also happens to be a leisure wonderland. It manages to be, at once, magical and rustic yet luxurious and comfortable. It feels like a big, beautiful experiment in which every person and piece works symbiotically with the others.
The “seed to fork” culinary mindset
“We say we are seed to fork instead of farm to table. It starts earlier and ends later,” Graham says. Whether it’s lettuce from the hydroponic grow facility or an heirloom variety hand-picked from the 1,300-tree apple orchard, nearly every ingredient that lands on your plate has followed a remarkable journey through Southall.
Acres of mixed vegetable, flower, and herb plants line the fields, and chefs can pick and pull directly from the terraced formal kitchen gardens.
There will be four different dining options on the property, plus special culinary events throughout the year. Signature restaurant Mary Amelia‘s intimate dining room and outdoor patio serve up panoramic views and an unforgettable multi-course meal. Chef Tyler Brown’s creative dishes incorporate seasonal ingredients grown and raised — you guessed it — mere feet from your table.
Mary Amelia (rendered here) is open for dinner only, while Sojourner will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, boxed lunches for excursions, and in-room orders.
The Inn’s more casual, all-day restaurant, Sojourner, offers a scrumptious breakfast of homemade pastries, farm-fresh egg specialties, and other creative dishes. Order up a handcrafted cocktail, and you can be sure it’s made with just-harvested ingredients like juices and herb-infused spirits.
The Rambling is a multi-course alfresco dinner that pops up in various locations around the farm. Enjoy some open-fire preparations with new and old friends.
“The kitchen garden will be the most interactive farming experience on the property,” Graham says, noting that it was designed as a nod to Monticello in Virginia. We say hi to a team of growers using hand tools in the dirt who are happy to tell us about their onion, mustard seed, and other current crops.
The espaliered hillside apple orchard has more than 2,000 trees and 40+ varietals.
As I peer through the windows of the fully hydroponic greenhouse, it’s an Instagrammable ocean of vibrant, leafy greens with their full root structures visible in crystal clear water. You can almost taste the crunch of the salad they’ll end up in.
The farm is home to this 10,000-square-foot hydroponic pond-style greenhouse, a second conservatory greenhouse, and an orangery growing citrus trees of all kinds.
78 different places to sleep
Whether you seek the centrality of the inn or the seclusion of a cottage, Southall has six different room types to choose from. There are 62 oversized guestrooms and suites in and around the main Inn. The smallest room is about 500 square feet, so oversized is an apt descriptor here. The Tennessee Suite is the largest at over 1,500 square feet.
Each of the seven Arbor Cottages has a giant soaking tub, luxurious linens, and a wraparound deck and patio.
There are also 16 spacious separate cottages. I got to explore one of the nine Hillside Cottages, and I could not get enough of the velvety furnishings, funky wallpaper, and screened-in patio with a wood-burning fire.
Influenced by the local landscape, the Polk Rooms are located in the Main Inn.
Move, relax, and treat yourself at the Spa at Southall
The 15,000-square-foot spa has 10 treatment rooms, two couples’ suites, and the dreamiest relaxation lounge I’ve ever seen. A fitness area and movement studio will feature state-of-the-art equipment and professionally led classes.
The relaxation lounge is an oasis (with a great view) as you prepare for or unwind after your spa day.
“It also has the largest mineral pool I’ve ever seen,” Graham says. “It looks like it can fit around 50 people, and it’s heated to 104 degrees year-round. There are also heated patios on the spa patio so you can hang outside.” Sauna, steam room, salon, and herbal medicinal garden? Yes, to all.
Every day, a new adventure
Unlike Tennessee’s other major luxury farm resort, Blackberry Farm, Southall is not all-inclusive. You pay for your room, suite, or cottage; the rest is extra. Guests will have planned (with the help of a Southall concierge) dining reservations, classes, tastings, and excursions before arrival, but the staff can handle changes and whims. Spa day number two? You got it. Ropes course for the twelfth time to try to break your record? Have at it!
Explore the vast farmland, sit for a sunset meditation, learn to mountain bike, or join a communal meal under the stars. The possibilities are limitless at Southall.
Shop curios, apparel, and Southall-grown products at Emma’s Boutique and The Farm Stand. Bask poolside with a good book. Test your limits on the self-led ropes and obstacle course. Learn something new like falconry, photography, or Plein air painting. Southall’s full-service adventure outfitter has kayaks, paddleboards, canoes, fishing gear, e-bikes, mountain bikes, and more.
If you relish downtime, there are magical nooks and crannies all over Southall. If you want a packed schedule each day, they can help with that, too.
I also got the first peek into Southall’s jammery. “It’s a Tennessee-certified jamming and preservation kitchen. It’s our way to extend the season,” Graham says. “So, if you come here to experience the farm in December, you can’t eat a lot of what we’re pulling off the vine … this facility is designed to be a teaching kitchen.” Culinary lessons of all kinds will take place at Southall, from wine and honey tastings to mixology and pickling classes.
Expect an ever-expanding lineup of immersive, hands-on educational sessions, local live music, art classes, and more.
When you’re ready to visit Southall
Southall has not fully decided what aspects of the resort will be bookable and open to the public versus what will be guests-only. Early next year, expect more information on how you can visit without a room. Best bet? Do the whole dang thing. This resort, its surrounding land, and the culture of Middle Tennessee invite you to take a big gulp of fresh air, exhale a relieving sigh, and be enveloped by the giant bear hug that is Southall.
Thanks, Graham, for the tour of Southall. I can’t wait to come back for longer. All renderings courtesy of Southall Farm & Inn and all photos by Heather Durham.
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