Squaw Creek Garden

We took “Farm Fresh” to the Next Level with our Rooftop Hydroponic Garden

Resort at Squaw Creek has always sourced the freshest produce from vendors, but recently took the supply chain from miles to feet for a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs that our guests will enjoy in all of our North Lake Tahoe dining outlets.

Rooftop Roots, the name of our garden, produces a variety of vegetables like onions, radishes, and microgreens, as well as herbs like rosemary, basil, and mint. All harvests from Rooftops Roots are used in the resort’s North Lake Tahoe restaurants, with menu selections including both food and cocktails at Six Peaks Grille, Sandy’s Pub, Cascades, Sweet Potatoes Deli. Our garden fare is also used in catering for group and corporate meetings at the resort.

Resort Executive Chef Patrick Cleary supports local sustainability efforts and strives to use Mother Nature to make his food delicious in its simplest form. Chef Cleary incorporates simple, organic, sustainable and seasonal ingredients into all of his recipes.

Six Peaks Grille mixologist, Tamaneaka French, uses all of our garden herbs in her cocktails, infusing her ice with lavender and rosemary; muddling fresh mint and sage into spirits; and garnishing her innovative drinks with herbs like basil and thyme. Tam is the resort’s master mixologist. Check out her seasonal cocktail menus, or belly up to the Six Peaks bar and don’t be afraid to ask what she’s infused lately. Tam spends hours in our garden, crafting new recipes daily and is always happy to chat with our guests about flavors, cocktails, and trends.

Resort at Squaw Creek invested in a state-of-the-art hydroponic system that yields a larger quantity of produce. The veggies are grown sustainably and only use organic nutrients. Guests can view the garden at a variety of locations, including the small herb planters on the deck of Six Peaks Grille; inside our “greenhouse”, which is adjacent to Cascades Restaurant; and in Mountain Buddies, which Resort at Squaw Creek has nicknamed its “plant nursery,” because it is where our baby plants and seeds start out, prior to being transplanted to the larger garden on the resort roof. Children who attend Mountain Buddies are allowed to view and to learn about the garden.

Because hydroponic gardens produce a great deal of leafy greens, Resort at Squaw Creek partners with Tahoe Food Hub, selling our surplus to this local, Lake Tahoe non-profit organization. Tahoe Food Hub is working to restore local food distribution by building a regional food system for North Lake Tahoe. To do so, Tahoe Food Hub has created a network of regional farms within 100 miles of North Lake Tahoe and they have connected the farms with regional restaurants, small grocers, schools, and hospitals. Resort at Squaw Creek supports the efforts of Tahoe Food Hub and we will continue to purchase additional produce through Tahoe Food Hub to supplement our on-property efforts.