Beyond the gates, Biltmore Estate's deep rooted agro-world revealed

ASHEVILLE - Of its 8,000 acres, only half of Biltmore Estate is readily seen and accessible for guest experiences. The other 4,000 acres is where much of the magic happens that makes the estate’s operations possible.

The west side of the estate is where “very few guests get to see and really and truly most employees never get the opportunity to see,” said Biltmore gardener Sarah Woodby.

“The estate’s divided almost perfectly in half by the French Broad River,” she said. “It’s a well-kept secret.”

Woodby, who’s been with the estate for nearly three years, is one of the few with access to the gated-off side of the property that’s largely dedicated to agriculture and commercial forestry.

Woodby has an essential role in managing three hydroponic greenhouses and harvesting crops that eventually end up on the plates of diners across the estate.

“It’s the cultivation of plants that, in our case, without the utilization of soil,” Woodby said. “Statistically, you can rely on a 40-40-40 rule. Hydroponic plants grow about 40% faster than traditional grown crops, they have the potential to get about 40% larger than traditional grown crops, and they use about 40% less water.”

One of the greenhouses consists of rows of Genovese and Nufar basil bunches to be used in the Blueberry Basil Soda, produced by regional beverage company Waynesville Soda Jerks in collaboration with Biltmore.

“What we view ourselves as doing is being an extension of that agricultural economy,” said Chris Allen, co-founder of Waynesville Soda Jerks. “We’re taking what the farmers are doing ― taking their hard work and their wonderful produce – and honestly doing as little to it and with it as we can.”

Blueberry Basil soda, private label

Waynesville Soda Jerks, a family-owned and -operated soda company founded in 2013, produces craft sodas using cane sugar, local produce and all-natural ingredients sourced from Southern Appalachia. The business began as a farmers market vendor that’s grown into a significant manufacturer with a facility in Waynesville with wholesale distribution of 150 locations across Western North Carolina.

Its flagship Blueberry Basil soda will be relaunched as a private label exclusive for Biltmore, incorporating the specialty basil, and will be exclusively available across the estate by mid-December.

The blueberries are sourced from different farms with the most recent provider Table Rock Farms in Morganton.

“It’s an outstanding product,” said Megan Brown, co-founder and president of Waynesville Soda Jerks. “The basil itself has really nice notes, pairs great with the blueberries that we use, and they complement each other well for a nice, balanced flavor.”

In 2015, the Waynesville Soda Jerks’ bottling operations began, and Biltmore was an early adopter to carry the collection of soda flavors at the estate, Allen said. In the same year, the first collaborative venture was introduced, Berry Cobbler soda made with Biltmore-grown blackberries.

“One of our goals with our 10-year anniversary in 2023 is to begin more collaborations such as this and we knew that Biltmore would be a major player and a good customer that we wanted to continue that relationship further,” Brown said.

The future of hydroponics

Woodby grew up in a traditional farming family ― her father was a North Carolina tobacco farmer ― but saw a career in hydroponics for herself.

Woodby said hydroponics are “the way to the future” for many crops because it’s sustainable.

“The difference for us, a traditional in-ground grown basil versus a hydroponic basil is that it’s very consistent year-round and we have access to a quality ingredient year-round,” Woodby said. “For some of our other flavors, seasonality plays a big role in how we produce everything, so we have to factor in a particular season of a product.”

Crops are grown indoors in an environment where everything is controlled from temperature to lighting. Hydroponics allows the farmers to grow ingredients more than the five-to-seven-month North Carlina growth window, Woodby said.

The basil grows fast at about six weeks, so there are ample crops to provide for the soda company into the colder seasons.

In the wider agricultural industry, Woodby said hydroponics offers benefits like food security for consumers to ensure a stable food market, year-round.

Power outages and access to learn the skills of hydroponics are challenges, Woodby said, but the positives outweigh the negatives.

Farm-to-table at Biltmore

Biltmore founder George Vanderbilt, described as an innovator, implemented working farms on the estate, and Woodby said she believes he would have welcomed the hydroponics method.

“He always intended everything to be sustainable. He was very good at bringing new technology to the estate,” she said.

Traditional farming and foraging are still practiced, and its farms and greenhouses are sources for much of the ingredients supplying the estate’s six restaurants and seven walk-up or limited-service food and beverage concepts.

“There’s a good symbiotic relationship there, where a couple of times a year we sit down and chefs will say, ‘Hey, this is what we’re planning for’ and I’ll say, ‘This is what’s in our scope of ability,’” Woodby said. “Sometimes, I’ll find something amazing, or they come up with something they’re really passionate about and we’ll say, ‘We also want to throw this in the mix.”

Lettuces, specialty greens, herbs, edible flowers, 112 heirloom tomato vines, and limited-batch items like hibiscus plants used for their edible foliage are part of the farm-to-table program.

“Another nice thing about hydroponic food ― it’s so clean. It looks clean, it smells clean. You can put a lot of confidence into what you’re putting in your mouth,” Woodby said. “We’re always very taste-oriented around here. We want crops with the highest culinary value. The last thing we want is to produce a crop that tastes like a greenhouse tomato.”

Craft soda, cider and spirits

Waynesville Soda Jerks’ standard label Blueberry Basil Soda will continue to be available at restaurants and retailers across WNC and Biltmore.

Waynesville Soda Jerks welcomes the public to visit the gift shop at the soda facility for direct purchases of sodas, branded merchandise and other locally made products at 35 Bridges St. in Waynesville.

Flagship and seasonal soda flavors include Strawberry Rhubarb, Apple Rosemary, and the bestselling Raspberry Cream.

Products available include the newly released Ginger soda, which is available throughout the year. Cranberry Ginger, a holiday special released in November, will be available throughout the holiday season.

Also, Waynesville Soda Jerks recently launched a keg program to provide nonalcoholic options and cocktail mixers for local restaurants and breweries.

Last year, Biltmore collaborated with two Asheville-founded businesses to release special edition beverages, Chemist Spirits and Noble Cider.

Noble Cider released a spiced apple hard cider dubbed the Biltmore Blue Ridge Hard Cider.

Chemist Spirits introduced its Conservatory Rose Vodka distilled with roses grown at the estate, as well as a single malt whiskey.

This fall, Waynesville Soda Jerks collaborated with The Omni Grove Park Inn to release the Pink Lady Soda, made with Raspberry Cream soda and inspired by the Pink Lady Ghost rumored to haunt the historic hotel, available exclusively at the property.

For more about Biltmore Estate, visit biltmore.com.

For more about Waynesville Soda Jerks, visit waynesvillesodajerks.com.

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Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Biltmore Estate, Waynesville Soda Jerk's new holiday collaboration