Owners Paul Esterer and Chef Matthew Cooper

Our Story

Owners and friends Paul Esterer and Chef Matthew Cooper have poured their talent and passion into Sun Painted Farm’s evolution. Their lifelong dedication to building community runs deep in the project’s DNA. Esterer and Cooper agreed to first build their family homes on the land, then carefully breathe life back into the property by developing a sustainable farmstead, culinary project, and incredible guest experience. Their just-under-50-acre plot, now called Sun Painted Farm, is crafted to deliver eco-friendly agricultural knowledge, culinary excellence, and community connection.

About Paul:

Paul Esterer’s career has centered around community. For over 30 years, Paul has focused on adaptive restoration real estate. In preserving properties that provide a sense of place, Paul helps these historic spaces reach their greatest potential in a modern context. In 2020, the opportunity arose for Paul to invest in another heritage project—the original Schell/Coffee homestead on former Route 4—tucked away just minutes outside of downtown Bentonville.

About Chef Cooper:

Chef Cooper is well-reputed for nurturing his own team while pushing the limits of what a restaurant can and should be within its community. In 2022, Chef Cooper launched Conifer in downtown Bentonville, and it has now been nominated for multiple James Beard Awards.

Ryn, Chef Cooper’s new on-site fine dining establishment, sits tucked inside Sun Painted Farm’s restored, historic farmhouse. Ryn mirrors Chef Cooper’s commitment to people, food origin, and a more sustainable future for food.

Indoor greenhouse with a large ventilation fan mounted on a wooden frame, small plants growing in trays below the fan, and irrigation drip lines overhead.
Rolled-up architectural blueprints on a counter in a partially constructed building with exposed wooden studs.
A red barn with a weathered metal roof, two small windows, and leafless trees in the foreground, under a clear blue sky.
Stone house under construction with a wooden structure to the left, ladders leaning against the houses, and a red barn in the background, with trees and open land around.
Interior of a house under construction with exposed wooden framing, a stone fireplace, multiple windows, and construction materials scattered on the floor.
A house under construction or repair with black plastic covering the ground, a yellow construction excavator, a window leaning against the house, and a scenic background of trees and hills.
Construction site with partially built wooden structure, tools such as shovels and a rake leaning against a stone house wall, and a dirt ground.
House under construction with stone walls, a wooden fence, and leafless trees in the background during dusk.