Flying Disc Ranch

HOST FARMER: Robert Lower | Flying Disc Ranch

GUEST CHEF: Michael Beckman | Workshop Kitchen

We return to Robert Lower's tropical desert oasis in the Coachella Valley, where the landscape is allowed to get a little wild. Towering rows of date palms give the farm its structure, softened by bright globes of pomegranates and Coachella grapefruit, edible greens and aloe vera growing beneath the canopy.

Robert tends the land with a permaculture approach that values biodiversity over control. It works: his Barhi, Medjool, Dayri, Zahidi and Deglet Noor palms are heavy with fruit every time we set the table, and his sun-soaked citrus always inspires our guest chefs.

This year, Michael Beckman of Palm Springs’ Workshop Kitchen + Bar takes the field kitchen. As the chef behind one of the desert’s most celebrated restaurants, he’s known for seasonal, ingredient-driven cooking that draws on the Coachella Valley’s growers and the bounty of Southern California. It’s a place where nature leads, flavor follows, and the table feels right at home under the palms.