“Fox Point Farms has established itself as a thriving community and a resilient model for sustainable living in Southern California.”

Imagine living on a farm, and enjoying fresh vegetables, eggs, fruit, herbs, and flowers each day without having to do any of the planting, tilling, and harvesting. My agrarian dreams became reality for just a few days when I visited a friend in San Diego and stayed at a carriage house condominium at Fox Point Farms, a 21-acre community celebrating artisanal agriculture in Encinitas, just north of San Diego.

“I wanted to create a place that fosters real connection,” says founder and managing partner Brian Grover. “Where people can engage with the land, their food systems, and each other in meaningful ways. I’m most proud of how Fox Point Farms has established itself as a thriving, connected community, helping to inspire a resilient model for sustainable living in Southern California.” 

Grover lives on-site with his family so he’s not only a developer, but a neighbor. Fox Point Farms currently has 250 residential units, including a mix of single-family homes, townhomes, carriage homes, and flats.

The “agrihood” is a circular, self-sustaining micro-economy, anchored by a three-acre regenerative farm and home to an organic brewery, coffee roaster, bakery, farm stand, apothecary, and restaurant. 

Farmers, chefs, artisans, and neighbors all play a role. Grover says the complexity and ever-evolving nature of the project is challenging but deeply rewarding, especially when Fox Point creates opportunities for education, wellness, and shared purpose for both residents and the greater San Diego community.

Eating Good in the Neighborhood

At Haven Farm + Table, Barbados-born chef de cuisine Kelston Moore begins every day on the farm walking the fields with farm manager Greg Reese to see what’s coming up for harvest and often helps out, building fencing for the animal grazing pasture and hanging netting for snap peas and tomatoes.

“This is by far the closest I’ve been to working on a farm in my career,” Moore says. “In the past, most of my interaction with farmers happened over the phone or at farmers’ markets. Being able to have those face-to-face conversations every day has completely changed my approach to cooking and menu development. It’s an incredibly collaborative and rewarding experience.”  

This summer he’s looking forward to tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, and watermelon from the farm. “In America, there tends to be a culture of getting what you want, when you want it,” Moore says. “But here, we approach things differently.” Instead of creating a menu and sourcing ingredients to match, Moore starts with what Fox Point is growing, then supplements with ingredients from other local and regional farms, like Thompson Heritage Ranch Berkshire pork belly for a jerk pork belly mole with carrot ginger purée and pickled onions. 

“It’s a constant puzzle, but it’s one that keeps me inspired and grounded in the purpose of what we’re doing.” Moore says his favorite part of working at Fox Point Farms and Haven is the creative freedom and challenge in building a farm-driven menu.

“The ingredients we harvest on-site do taste better,” Moore says. “They’re grown with care, picked at their peak, and served just steps away from where they were cultivated. That kind of freshness doesn’t come in a delivery truck. There’s a real sense of purpose in knowing that every dish we create is a reflection of the land and the people who care for it.”

A Walkable Idyll

One morning, I started my day with an invigorating vinyasa yoga class at Hatch Gatherings wellness studio before meeting friends for fresh roasted coffee, fruit, and pastries at Haven Market next door. There’s something so quaint about walking just a couple of blocks from home to both a yoga class and a high-quality grocery store with an abundance of fresh organic produce, snacks, and grocery staples from small local brands.

We then relaxed on our rooftop terrace with fresh beer from Fox Point Brewing, San Diego’s first farm-to-tap brewery. Brewmaster Brian Carl integrates seasonal ingredients from the farm into his beers, like a hibiscus hazy IPA and fresh lemon verbena and thyme farmhouse ale.

“The raw herbs are added during the whirlpool stage and also steeped into a tea, which we then incorporate as we knock the beer into the fermenter,” Carl says. The small batch beers are never canned, but instead served exclusively at the restaurant and farm stand straight from the tanks with a system of tap lines delivering the beer to the restaurant next door.

How to Visit 

Fox Point Farms hosts events open to the public throughout the year, including live music on the community green, movie nights, and farm dinners with guest chefs. You can also stop by for dinner at Haven, pizza or tacos, and a farm tour. Don’t forget to visit the friendly alpacas!