Episode Details

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

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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 rest