I don't have a farmhouse sink, but if I did, I'd get a Chicago Faucet wall-mount like Bayareafrancy's pictured above. It's such a classic look. And has a bonus of making cleaning the counter behind the sink so much easier. Also, some may say that with a wall-mount you run the risk of having difficulty replacing or fixing it if it breaks. But Chicago Faucets have a reputation that they are built to last a lifetime, so that won't be an issue. You can read a review of Chicago Faucets on this website linked below (the list is alphabetical). Here is a link that might be useful: Faucet Ratings

Just to be clear, the company I mentioned is OverstockDeals.com not Overstock.com. I'll link it below. I was thinking that their black friday special was 20% or more and by using MrRebates there was 3 - 5% cash back also. Plus, they had a lot of their larger items on sale, too. So, you got a percentage off the sale price. You'll be fine purchasing in November, if you aren't starting until October. Our builder had told us they could build our house in 4 - 6 months. We started last August. I started buying plumbing supplies in June/July. It is now the following Sept. and we still don't have sinks and toilets installed. They've been sitting for a year! I could have/should have waited and bought them all on Black Friday last year. Here is a link that might be useful: OverstockDeals

Mayflowers - the story about a company's stainless sinks "disappearing from the landscape"--which is a rather dramatic way of saying the sinks were no longer offered for sale--was about the TICOR company, not Kraus. Regarding rust on stainless steel sinks, even well-known stainless steel sink manufacturers like Franke and Blanco warn about rust appearing on THEIR sinks from using steel wool or leaving other metallic items (cans, metal spatulas, etc.) on the sinks so that tiny particles are left on the sink's surface which rust. So your rust warning applies also to Franke, Blanco and any other manufacturer who provides care instructions for their sinks to avoid rust. Your recommendation about finding a sink with American steel is problematic. Major manufacturers like Kohler, Blanco, Franke, and even Elkay source their steel from all over the world, including China. It would be difficult for any consumer to know for sure where the stainless steel in their sink came from. Even if you call the manufacturers, they won't have the information on the sources of each run of stainless steel they buy, which went to which factory, which went to which retailer, and which went to which sink an individual is buying. There are many enthusiastic owners of Kraus sinks on this forum. It's a lot of bang for the buck. Franke, Kohler and Elkay offer the thinner 18-gauge SS, and no grid, at the same price point or higher as Kraus' 16-gauge with grid.

"And have they advanced and gotten better over the years as many posts recommend to go with cast iron instead noting significant issues with fireclay in general." No, fireclay has not advanced. Fireclay sinks still have significant issues in general, regardless of the brand, as the very experienced kitchen designer @User mentioned above. Cast iron usually has an enamel coating that isn't as durable as stainless steel. You may want to do more research on other materials if you are looking for something with longevity that won't need periodic replacement given your expensive counters and cabinetry. For our remodel, we chose a workstation Havens Metal apron-front sink in the Prestige finish and feel it gives the look of luxury but with the durability required for a working kitchen.