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In the heart of Northern California’s Dry Creek Valley, the intersection of sustainable agriculture and three-Michelin-starred gastronomy recently took center stage at the second annual FieldNotes summit. Hosted by Katina and Kyle Connaughton at SingleThread Farm, the event served as a focal point for artisans, farmers, and culinary professionals to explore the philosophies of land stewardship and the precision of Japanese craft. The gathering occurred during a period of significant growth for the SingleThread brand, which is currently expanding its footprint from the soil of Sonoma County to the historic streets of Kyoto, Japan.
For nearly a decade, the Connaughtons, alongside co-owner Tony Greenberg, have cultivated a 24-acre farm, a five-room inn, and a world-renowned restaurant in Healdsburg. Their "SingleThread approach" emphasizes a symbiotic relationship between the land and the table, a philosophy that has now matured into a multi-faceted hospitality group. The FieldNotes summit is the physical manifestation of this ethos, designed to facilitate a cross-pollination of ideas between growers, winemakers, and makers through workshops, shared meals, and academic discourse.
A Global Expansion and the Evolution of the SingleThread Brand
The timing of this year’s summit coincides with several major milestones for the organization. In March, the group launched SoNoMa by SingleThread, their first international venture, located within the Capella Kyoto. This move represents a significant cultural exchange, bringing the "California-cool" interpretation of Japanese hospitality back to its source. Furthermore, the group is preparing for the November release of their comprehensive book, SingleThread: A Seasonal Approach to Intentional Cooking, Farming, and Hospitality. Published by Penguin Random House, the volume documents a year of seasonal shifts and the specific techniques that have defined their three-star Michelin status.
Simultaneously, the brand is expanding its local lodging offerings with the opening of The Selvedge. This new bed and breakfast, overlooking the Russian River, was designed in collaboration with the renowned design firm AvroKO. The property is described as a stylistic fusion of modern California comfort and Victorian charm, accented with British aesthetic influences and a "punk spirit," marking a departure from the more traditional Zen-like minimalism of the original SingleThread Inn.
The FieldNotes Summit: A Chronology of Craft
The second annual FieldNotes summit began under the morning mist characteristic of the Dry Creek Valley. Attendees, including a curated list of chefs and artisans, were greeted by Zach Dorman, SingleThread’s director of events and partnerships. The day’s programming was structured to move from the raw ingredients of the fields to the refined techniques of the kitchen.
A primary highlight of the summit was the "Advanced Donabe: Smoke, Fire & Seasonal Technique" workshop led by Chef Kyle Connaughton and Alex Fuentes, the chef of special projects. The session was not merely a cooking demonstration but a deep dive into the material science and history of the donabe, the traditional Japanese clay pot.
The donabe represents a bridge between ancient technology and modern culinary application. Chef Connaughton, who first encountered the philosophy of Japanese food arranging through the works of Yoshio Tsuchiya as a child, has made the vessel a cornerstone of his kitchen. During the workshop, he highlighted the geological significance of Iga clay, the material used to create the most coveted donabe.
The Material Science of Iga-Yaki Pottery
The technical superiority of the Iga-style donabe is rooted in terroir. The clay from the Iga region of Japan was submerged under a lake hundreds of thousands of years ago. Consequently, the soil is rich with tiny fossils. When fired at high temperatures, these fossils burn away, leaving behind a highly porous structure. This porosity is critical to the cooking process; the air pockets within the clay walls act as insulators, allowing the pot to heat slowly and retain a consistent, intense temperature.
SingleThread’s connection to this craft is deeply personal. In 2011, Connaughton traveled to Iga with Naoko Takei Moore, an importer and founder of the Los Angeles-based company Toiro. Together, they stayed with the Nagatani-en family, eighth-generation potters who have been producing Iga-yaki ware since 1832. This collaboration resulted in the definitive English-language text on the subject, Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking.
The workshop demonstrated the versatility of these vessels through several courses:
- Smoked Salmon with Shio-Koji: Utilizing the Ibushi Gin smoker donabe, the chefs used cherry blossom wood chips to infuse salmon cubes with a delicate smoke. The design of the pot includes a water-seal rim that traps smoke entirely within the vessel, creating a high-pressure environment that concentrates flavor without overcooking the protein.
- The Communal Fondue: In a modern adaptation, the chefs used the donabe to create a smoked communal dish featuring wood-box Camembert, sausage from the local Journeyman Meat Co., and tinned mussels.
- The Duck Hot Pot: The final demonstration featured a pinwheel arrangement of DuClair ducks, a breed Connaughton specifically requested a local turkey farmer to raise due to its "gamier" profile. The dish concluded with shime, the traditional finishing course, using Inaniwa udon to soak up the remaining nutrient-rich broth.
Collaborative Gastronomy and Regional Synergy
The summit also served as a platform for broader culinary collaboration. Following the workshops, attendees participated in a "Garden to Glass" session with Scott Beattie, which focused on seasonal garnishes, such as dehydrated heirloom pineapple tomato chips.
The midday meal was provided by Chef Alon Shaya, a James Beard Award-winning chef based in New Orleans. Shaya’s menu, which included sablefish chraime and saffron rice tahdig with Jimmy Nardello peppers, highlighted the adaptability of local Sonoma produce to diverse culinary traditions. This was followed by a keynote conversation involving Alon and Emily Shaya and the Connaughtons, focusing on the role of memory and storytelling in the hospitality industry.
The event culminated in a 10-course collaborative dinner between the SingleThread team and Chef Brian Limoges of Enclos. This partnership was particularly significant as Enclos, located in Sonoma County, was recently awarded its third Michelin star. The collaboration between two three-star establishments underscored the region’s status as a global epicenter for high-end, sustainable dining. The menu was designed as a tribute to the growers and producers of Northern California, bringing the day’s discussions on land and craft into a final, tangible form.
Broader Implications for the Hospitality Industry
The FieldNotes summit and the continued expansion of SingleThread reflect a broader trend in the luxury hospitality sector: the move toward "intentional" and "educational" luxury. Rather than focusing solely on service, establishments like SingleThread are positioning themselves as educational hubs that preserve traditional crafts while pushing the boundaries of agricultural sustainability.
Industry analysts suggest that this model—integrating farming, retail (the SingleThread Farm Store), media (books), and international partnerships—creates a more resilient brand. By diversifying their offerings, the Connaughtons are not just selling a meal; they are selling a comprehensive philosophy of living.
The inclusion of workshops on the donabe, for instance, encourages consumers to bring the restaurant’s philosophy into their own homes. The "Mushi Nabe" steaming donabe and the "Ibushi Gin" smoker are now staples of the SingleThread Farm Store, allowing the brand to maintain a presence in the customer’s daily ritual long after they have left the Dry Creek Valley.
Conclusion: The Future of SingleThread
As SingleThread prepares for the winter season, the focus remains on the "temporal design" of eating—the idea that the vessel and the environment dictate the pace of the meal. The donabe, with its requirement for a slow "seasoning" process involving rice porridge to seal the porous clay, serves as a metaphor for the Connaughtons’ business model: a slow, deliberate build-up of layers, deeply rooted in the history of the land and the precision of the maker.
With the upcoming opening of The Selvedge and the global reach of the Kyoto project, SingleThread is transitioning from a local success story into a global authority on the intersection of design, agriculture, and gastronomy. The FieldNotes summit remains the anchor of this expansion, ensuring that no matter how far the brand travels, it remains tethered to the fundamental rituals of the farm.
