Barr Farms

Settled in cozy Rhodelia, KY, Barr Farms sits in beautiful rolling hills right near the Ohio River. The farm, owned by the Barr family for seven generations, is now under partial ownership of the youngest Barr farmer, Adam. He and his fiance (yay!) Rae run a vegetable and meat CSA that makes its way to many a plate in the surrounding areas. 

Adam went off to college, leaving the farm behind but as soon as graduation hit, the call to return to land was incessant. He wanted to come back to the farm and change the way things had been done. Granted his father and uncle ran a decent cattle farm on the property, but now Adam was loaded with information on pesticides and treating the earth in a more respectful manner and became impassioned to supply local families with the healthiest of foods right from his own land. He mentioned the Native American outlook that we should create systems and traditions that are capable of lasting for seven generations and feels that it's quite profound that he is in fact the seventh generation to farm on the property. He has chosen to make a decision to treat the land with such respect and reverence that he wants the new sustainable system he is implementing to last for seven generations more. While this may seem like a lofty goal, his calm demeanor, tireless work ethic and true dedication to making sure that his customers know all about how the food was raised under his care, it seems like there is no way that Adam Barr can fail. 

It is really this sense of what is right for people, that overlaps everyone we talk to about sustainability and living a more localized life. Instead of lackadaisical attitudes, we have come across so many people that just want to do their share to make this world a better place. While so many people might say that "It's just food. What impact can that really make?" If people realized that our need for food and how we raise and grow it is the most profound impact and interaction that we have with the planet, maybe they might see that one less drop of chemicals on the land, one less sick, corn eating animal on our plates and one more dollar in the pocket of a local farmer really can make a difference if we all do our part. The filmmakers of "Down to Earth" never set out to guilt people into this lifestyle. We want people to feel an invitation to take their seat at the table. 

Whether it is one locally grown tomato from your local farmer or even starting your own little plant at home, even the littlest effort can add up to something big. Adam Barr is an inspiring person who, upon meeting him, makes others want to do something as impactful as he has. Though, in talking to him, you would never get the feeling that he thinks he is doing something profound, he is just following his heart and doing something he loves.

Clifton Community Gardens

Janie Estes, the founder of the Clifton Community Gardens, planned a day of fun, games, education and healthy food for the neighborhood. A huge connoisseur of local foods (we see her at Stone Soup kitchens and farmer's markets all the time!), she felt that her community was in need of its own garden. 

She researched throughout the area and found that Sacred Heart Village had some extra space on their property and they welcomed the idea of planting a small garden with open arms. Deep into their first year of growing, Janie notices the already tight-knit community coming together even more. It was because of this she organized a harvest festival at the end of the season. There were community activist groups there, games to play, yummy soups made with local veggies and demonstrations on how to create rain water barrels for home gardens. Janie and her family have found such a great community in the local food movement and thanks to her hard work and dedication she has brought that feeling even closer to home - 2 blocks away from her home to be exact. This just goes to show, with a little water, some seeds and loads of enthusiasm, a community garden is truly attainable by all.

Foxhollow Farm

Today we visited with Maggie Barrett and Janie Newton of Foxhollow Farm. A 400-acre farm in Oldham County, KY, they have recently converted their farm to an organic, biodynamic, grass-fed beef farm and vegetable CSA. Janie's mother created Foxhollow as a spa and wellness center years ago and simply leased out the surrounding land for conventional farmers to use. After the doctors at the wellness center noticed that so many of the problems had by the patients visiting from across the globe stemmed from chemical exposure, it just didn't make sense that they would have an interior haven for alternative medicine only to step outside onto a farm where the use of pesticides and fertilizers were commonplace. Thus, the conversion began. 

All of the pastures have been chemical free for years now and upon hiring Laura Riccardi to head up the biodynamics creation on the farm, the preparations have also begun treating the land. Foxhollow felt the first place to start was in healing the land and then slowly began adding cattle to the mix. They wanted only the best and healthiest grass for their animals because that would directly translate into healthfulness for their customers. The beef operation is truly a labor of love for Maggie, now the 3rd generation on the land.  While in college she had a marketing project and used as her example a "mock" grass-fed beef farm. The school project went so well and seemed very feasible. As soon as she graduated, Maggie returned to Kentucky to put her plan into effect. A year later, Foxhollow beef is well known all over the city. It's served in a local school and sells out at the farmer's markets. 

The amazing thing is that the price is almost exactly the same as what you could find at any large grocer - except you don't have meat that has chemicals, was mistreated or fed corn at any part of their life. For those of you who may not know, the importance of grass-fed beef is that cows are born with 4 stomachs that are undeniably made for eating grasses and only grasses. Corn is fed to them to make them bulk up so the farmers can get more for their money and have a heavier animal at a younger age. This causes the cows to be very sick to their stomachs for their entire lives and thus they are given heavy doses of antibiotics to keep them "healthy". These very antibiotics go right into your body when you eat the animal. By supporting grass-fed beef, you have a healthier animal, therefore, a healthier meal. The ladies (and gentlemen) behind Foxhollow consider this a labor of love. Their pride in their product is seen at any of the farmers markets where they sell their goods. You can even order an entire whole or half steer to feed your entire family for a year. A beautiful farm with beautiful people and happy cows, Foxhollow is truly a leader in amazingly tender and healthy beef.