On July 24, in partnership with the KY Hort Council, CFA hosted a Field Day at Happy Hens Homestead in Booneville, KY, Farmers Andee and Lyndsey, also known as “The Hens” showed us what it’s like to prioritize multiple projects, diversify outlets (and pivot when those outlets don’t work), plan for a long growing season, and try to beat the heat!
The day began with incredible black berry goat cheese and rosemary crackers made by none other than Farmer Andee herself, primarily from ingredients raised on their farm. (Thank you for feeding us, Andee!) As we toured The Hen’s farm we were greeted by their guardian dog, Gerry, who keeps The Hen’s goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, and ducks safe from predators. We made it inside the high tunnels before it got too hot, where Andee shared that she avoids the tunnels between 10am-4pm, sometimes harvesting by headlamp. But, hey, ya gotta do what works!
Doing what works was the theme of the day as The Hens shared their wealth of knowledge around planting plans and small details of their tunnel designs. For example, their tunnels are on a small slope, which helps with water drainage and soil salinity but also creates a dryer and wetter side in their tunnels. The Hens plant more water intensive crops, such as cucumbers, at the end of their tunnel where the most water ends up. In addition to The Hens sharing their tips and tricks with us, resource providers Kayla Preston (Grow Appalachia), Kenya Abraham (Organic Association of KY), Dr. Krista Jacobson (University of KY),and Dr. Qinglu Ying (University of KY) shared their knowledge and resources around soil salinity, green house designs, cover cropping in high tunnels, tomato production and more.
Developing and nurturing a community has also been integral to The Hens farming operations. Whether it’s a neighbor lending the use of their tractor, Andee pitching in to help another farm harvest, or even crowdsourcing ideas from fellow farmers to work through inevitable problems that arise on a farm, the give and take of such support not only helps with the nuts and bolts of farming, but also the mental and emotional load. A tangible result of the community The Hens have built is The Nest Box, a local market and cafe opening later this year in one of downtown Booneville’s historic buildings. Working in partnership with the City of Booneville, they are renovating the structure to offer farm to table meals through the cafe. The local market inside The Nest Box will feature fresh produce and proteins from local farms, such as Old Homeplace Farm as well as their own, and crafts from local artisans such as Coal Country Candles.
