Edward Newell’s path to founding NewTree Ranch in Healdsburg was ultimately sparked in childhood, watching his mother, Kathy, transform hospitality into an art form.
This eventually led him to the Culinary Institute of America, then building a thriving San Francisco catering company before founding E.G. Newell Interiors, designing luxury hotel and private yacht spaces across Europe and Asia. Living aboard The World residential ship deepened his love for global culture and intentional living. But after 15 years, Sonoma called him home.
Today, NewTree Ranch is the embodiment of Newell’s path, with a dedication to sustainability, land stewardship and regenerative agriculture. The property’s biodynamic garden is where more than 200 varieties of organic fruits and vegetables are grown, used to create artisanal products for guests and for the local community. This garden also generates 90% of its energy needs from 300 solar panels, with more than 30 sustainability practices in place, including bee repopulation, soil enrichment, seed saving and redwood reforestation.
Amber Turpin: How did you get into this work?
Edward Newell: I came to this work through burnout and instinct.
I had been working across the globe in hospitality, moving constantly, building, opening, refining. One day, I was meant to board a flight, and I simply couldn’t do it. Instead, I got into my car and drove north.
That drive led me to Healdsburg, and eventually to the property that would become NewTree Ranch. The sequence of events that followed was not strategic or carefully plotted; it was intuitive. The land felt restorative in a way I hadn’t experienced before.
What began as a pause became a calling. Over time, 20 acres became 120, and a personal refuge became a regenerative ranch rooted in hospitality, agriculture and well-being.
Did you ever have an ‘aha’ moment with a certain beverage? If so, tell us about it.
One morning after practicing yoga, I sat with a cup of our lemon verbena tea, hand-harvested and prepared here on the ranch. There was and always is something profoundly grounding about drinking something grown a few steps from where you are sitting.
In those still hours, with the ranch just beginning to stir, I often find my most creative ideas come to me. It’s less about the beverage itself and more about the ritual, but that lemon verbena tea has become a kind of daily anchor.
What is your favorite thing to drink at home?
Fresh water from our spring, herbal infusions from our farm and seasonal mocktails crafted from fruits, herbs and edible flowers grown on property are my favorites.
Where do you like to go out for a drink?
If I’m going into town to meet friends, I deeply appreciate the craftsmanship at Cyrus here in Healdsburg. They express a reverence for ingredients and a thoughtful approach to hospitality that resonates with me.
NewTree Ranch, 3780 Wallace Creek Rd., Healdsburg, 707.433.9643, newtreeranch.com.
