Every Wednesday and third Sunday of the month between May and October is pizza night at Red Barn Farm in Northfield. Located less than an hour from the Twin Cities, the idyllic setting is a 10-acre farm specializing in pesticide-free produce—some of which lands on the 10,000 or so wood-fired pies the farm bakes each summer.
That’s been the story for the last decade, at least—until a devastating storm flattened Tammy and Patrick Winter’s farm in September 2018, destroying the iconic red barn that had become a staple of the South Central Minnesota wedding circuit. (It’s so popular for private events, people book it two years in advance!)
Here’s the good news: A community-driven GoFundMe campaign raised nearly $20,000 for the farm’s recovery—enough to get the Winters back on their feet for summer. A new barn is set to open soon (the one pictured below is the one that was crushed in the storm); in the meantime, their pizza farm is running on schedule, with Northfield’s Just Food Co-op supplying locally sourced ingredients while the family regrows its onions, peppers, squash, spinach, tomatoes, and basil.
Like other pizza farms throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin, RBF has a few rules you should know beforehand. First, it accepts cash and personal checks only. A 16-inch specialty pie costs $25, a four-cheese pizza costs $20, and cauliflower crust is $15. Walk-up orders are taken between 4 and 8:30 p.m. in June, July, and August; 4 and 8 p.m. in September; and 4 and 7:30 p.m. in October. Sunday hours are always 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Reservations are not required, but customers are encouraged to arrive on the early or late side to avoid long waits at peak hours.
Final note: Red Barn Farm isn’t a restaurant. You’re expected to BYO plates, utensils, and beverages, plus a blanket if you’re feeling picnic fancy. (There are picnic tables, too, but arrive early if you want to grab one.) An on-site shop sells chips and jars of homemade salsa to munch on while you wait for your pizza, though we also recommend stopping by Chapel Brewing in Dundas on your way over. Its current take-away crowlers include a dry Brut IPA and a supremely drinkable Kolsch that should play nice with a Sour Pig pizza topped with olive oil, sausage, onion, and sauerkraut.
Red Barn Farm
110th St. E., Northfield, MN; 507-664-0304.
