Destinations: Will fly for pizza

Here are several farm-to-pizza experiences located close to general aviation airports that can provide you with opportunities to log flight time while exploring a new slice of the horizon.

Amber Waves Farm, Amagansett, New York
Local flour is the key ingredient for Amanda Merrow and Katie Baldwin, who praise the cultivation of grains—along with farm-fresh vegetables—as ingredients that help make do-it-yourself pizza nights at Amber Waves in the Hamptons popular. The sourdough starter for their pizza crust has been going since 1968. “The taste of flour made from freshly harvested grain is a totally different thing,” Merrow told the newspaper. Fly to East Hampton Airport (HTO) in East Hampton, New York. 

Hawkins Family Farm, North Manchester, Indiana
Former pastor Jeff Hawkins “was called” to the family farm near Salamonie Lake when he felt preaching had become too corporate. He committed his family to producing vegetables, honey, grains, pigs, chickens, goats, and cattle. The crackly edges of wood-fired pizza became the calling on Friday nights. The sustainable farm donates funds to a nonprofit that reconnects members of the clergy with agriculture. Fly to Wabash Municipal Airport (IWH) in Wabash, Indiana.

Katchkie Farm, Kinderhook, New York
“I never knew there were pizza groupies,” owner Liz Neumark said to The New York Times reporter. Her certified organic farm is dedicated to building connections between consumers, food professionals, and families. Weekend collaborations with Hilltown Hot Pies include hyperlocal ingredients “inspired by the bounty of our local farm” and baked into sourdough wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas. Fly to Columbia County Airport (1B1) near Hudson, New York.

Luna Valley Farm, Decorah, Iowa
Maren and Tom Beard of Luna Valley Farm near the Iowa-Wisconsin border specialize in a traditional Margherita pizza that has fresh tomatoes, basil leaves, and mozzarella topped with zingy Italian sausage crumbles. There are also three breweries within a 10-mile radius of the farm. Fly to Decorah Municipal Airport (DEH) in Decorah, Iowa.

Millsap Farms, Springfield, Missouri
Sarah and Curtis Millsap make mouthwatering pizzas with a New Mexico-style mud oven technique that was pioneered centuries ago for high-heat baking at around 800 degrees Fahrenheit. The pizzas are cooked in the earthen oven in about two minutes and are served buffet-style through October with seasonal toppings. “If you can grow it, we have put it on a pizza,” the Ozarks family told the newspaper. Bring chairs, a picnic blanket, and your appetite. Fly to Springfield-Branson National Airport (SGF) in Springfield, Missouri.

Pleasant Grove Pizza Farm, Waseca, Minnesota
Emily Knudsen and Bill Bartz founded their farm in 2014. The couple provides home-grown basil, tomatoes, peppers, and local honey for the brick oven pizzas they assemble. Favorites include the Sweet Georgia with mozzarella, prosciutto, arugula, goat cheese, and honey; and the Pig and Pork with tomato sauce, mozzarella, sausage, pepperoni, and green olives. Patrons can bring everything else including dessert, snacks, drinks, and a garbage bag to keep the picnic surroundings clean for others. Fly to Waseca Municipal Airport (ACQ) in Waseca, Minnesota.

A to Z Produce and Bakery, Stockholm, Wisconsin
The farm is the table at A to Z Produce and Bakery, run by Ted Fisher and Robbi Bannen, near Lake Pepin on the Wisconsin-Minnesota border. They are “not only credited as pioneers of the pizza farm; they also believe they coined the term soon after they began in 1998,” the newspaper said. Fisher and Bannen grow the vegetables for tomato sauce and toppings, and wheat for the flour. Fly to Red Wing Regional Airport (RGK) in Red Wing, Minnesota.

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