you know I’ve got a backstory for you

I met Kelly Shepherd (the owner) at a Bison roast dinner back in October 2022. Kelly & her husband Chris not only run What The Farm with their abundance of adorable animals, they have 3 children AND sell their goods at the East Beach Farmers Market. Funny enough, ANOTHER lady (Liz) who owns the Bison Ranch in West Virginia and hosted the mentioned above Bison dinner, is friends with Kelly, so that’s how we met & now that circle is closed! Thank you for staying with me thru that rambling story, but it's awesome. #SmallWorld

So these 2 badass ladies run their awesome small businesses and I feel lucky enough to have met them, LOVE their products & maybe even made friends? ((This is what you do after 30, you hope for real, random friendships with people who do awesome things that are also outside of your wheelhouse))

couldn’t be more southern

SO ANYWAY. We have been plotting & planning for the perfect, fun but low-key cooking class. We both wanted to do something that was quick, rather easy, but impressive and ((duh)) DELICIOUS. I know a lot of people love biscuits & gravy, but that it can seem or feel rather daunting for whatever reason. Look, let’s just say whenever I’m out at brunch with a group of people ((or hell, even a table I don’t know!)) SOMEBODY always orders biscuits & gravy. It’s a classic. It’s inevitable. It’s a southern delicacy. There are many ways to make it, but the steps are always the same. ((you can quote me on that))

Biscuits & Gravy is not only a southern delicacy, but the most impressive brunch item to feed a crowd. It won’t take up your entire morning, it isn’t insanely expensive with hard-to-find ingredients & it won’t be snubbed by anyone. Clearly, I hope ya’ll are picking up what I’m putting down. We are making Mamaw’s Sausage Gravy ((2 ways!!!)) and Judy’s Spring Onion Biscuits. So y’all better buckle up cause when those 3 recipes hit the blog…..shewwww its gonna be FIRE.

worth the work.

Kelly and her husband Chris are retired military. Chris’ career took them abroad to Australia for a couple of years & Kelly adapted to life the best way she could and learned A LOT of awesome food information while she was there! She learned how different countries cultivate food and said she noticed some BIG differences between Australian & American ways. Her future was booked – she wanted to be a small-scale farmer while making a difference and educating people of how life can and should be, away from big-time processors, unneeded materials, ingredients & chemicals. ((PS each animal on the farm has a name that is Australian in nature!))

The circle of life is not something Kelly shies away from. The way she explained life at What The Farm is a beautiful thing. The animals are well-cared for on the scale that is suitable for a small farm while being respected & humanely slaughtered to feed their family & some of the community. Sustainability is the major & main component. “We need more small-scale farms across America rather than Purdue Plants for our food needs” – she’s got a point. During COVID I knew many people who planted gardens to feed their own families when supply chain issues were at an all-time high. The food necessary for a small family can easily be grown in your own backyard – education is key.