Songwriting for Farmhouse was a joint effort between Trey Anastasio and Phish lyricist Tom Marshall, with contributions from Tony Markellis, Russ Lawton and Scott Herman.

The introduction to "Piper" is an extract from the band's live performance of the song on July 18, 1999, at their Camp Oswego Festival in Volney, New York.

Early incarnations of several tracks from the album can be heard on the 2000 release Trampled by Lambs and Pecked by the Dove, a collection of song sketches and demos recorded by Anastasio and Marshall.

Jason Ankeny of AllMusic praised the album as Phish's "rootsiest and most organic effort to date... [and] also their most fully developed – these are complete, concise songs and not simply outlines for extended jams, boasting a beauty and intimacy which expands the group's scope even as it serves notice of a newfound pop accessibility.

The review states that on the album the band walks "a thin line between mellow and torpid" with songs that "are going to need a lot of live (concert) resuscitation".