Taylor and Fran Montgomery on Life, Land, and Food at Montgomery Sky Farm

Taylor and Fran Montgomery are the owners and driving force behind Leicester, North Carolina-based Montgomery Sky Farm, where regenerative agriculture, intimate dining, and an animal rescue are deeply intertwined. Just a few weeks after this conversation was recorded, Taylor was named the 2026 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Southeast.Established in 2018, Montgomery Sky Farm offers farm tours and hosts private and community dinners, designed to connect guests more deeply with the land, the food being grown there, and the changing seasons of Western North Carolina. With more than 25 years of culinary experience, Taylor is passionate about heirloom produce, and the preservation of rare and endangered seed varieties that support biodiversity and long term soil health. Fran has more than two decades of experience in veterinary medicine, and she guides the rescue and rehabilitation efforts at Final Run Rescue, an onsite nonprofit caring for neglected and abused animals, including Highland cattle, donkeys, alpaca, and even a few capybara. In the summer of 2024, Taylor left his post as executive chef at Urban Wren in Greenville, South Carolina, to focus on the farm. A few months later, Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina, and the Montgomerys turned their focus towards helping to feed first responders and those in need. Those efforts are highlighted in “The Soil Remembers,” a new documentary from Greenville-based director Rioin Oshiro. In this episode, Taylor and Fran discuss the evolving nature of the farm, the animal rescue, and their immersive dining experiences; the heirloom produce they’re growing and what they’re excited to share with guests; how Helene impacted their operations; what it means to receive James Beard recognition without operating a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant; and more.Montgomery Sky Farmmontgomeryskyfarm.comFollow the farm on FacebookFollow the farm on InstagramFollow Taylor on InstagramFinal Run Rescuefinalrunrescue.orgFollow the rescue on FacebookFollow the rescue on InstagramThe Soil RemembersWatch a trailerFollow on Instagram