About sixty miles east of Fayetteville is the small Arkansas farm town of Alpena, population 397. A little northwest is Berryville, population 5,550. These are the two communities that formed and influenced Brian growing up. In 2020, when the pandemic devastated the hospitality industry, he found himself stuck at home after working fifteen years in restaurants and hotels. That’s when he had an epiphany.
A family member sent him a link to the CAFF programs, and it clicked. He knew that he could bring together all the things he loved into a new career path. He wanted to combine his passion for preparing food and feeding people with growing crops and raising animals. He realized that he could utilize his resources and hospitality background to create a farm and event venue in northwest Arkansas. He just needed to learn more about farming, so he signed up for the CAFF Farm School.
Growing up in rural Arkansas provided some experience in gardening and farming. His first job at 14 was working for a family friend on their cattle farm. He worked weekends to save up for his first car. His grandmother and grandfather on either side had extensive gardens to work in, along with chickens and livestock. Helping his family is how he learned he had a love for growing and cooking food. He eventually had a garden of his own that kept expanding to 1500 square feet. That was when he began to think that someday he might bring together his loves of growing food, preparing food, and hospitality. At age 34, the pandemic was the fuel, and the newly launched CAFF Farm School was the spark. Ideas blossomed.
Brian came to CAFF with a clear vision of what he wanted to do. He had always loved cooking and got great joy from feeding people, especially on holidays. Professional cooking didn’t appeal on its own, though. He loved gardening but didn’t want to only farm professionally either. His vision included combining these worlds, using his hospitality experience to develop an event venue with a working farm on his property in Goshen.
Brian would like to offer a farm-to-table experience for events at his venue, from community dinners to weddings. He plans to start with a market-scale garden and raise some livestock. One of his aspirations is to work with some of the many talented chefs in the region. Brian says his partner Becca is fully supportive and shares his gardening and food preparation passions, including canning and baking. She plans to farm right alongside Brian as they work on this vision for their land.
A priority for Brian is incorporating regenerative farming practices. He was inspired by the documentaries Kiss the Ground and The Biggest Little Farm and values being a good steward of the land by restoring it through reciprocal agricultural relationships. He’s clear about the life and farm he wants to build, saying, “It’s important for me to find that balance of feeding others while restoring nature. That’s a lifestyle I can enjoy.” Brian is passionate about sharing with others in his community why regenerative practices matter and the importance of buying local food.
Brian says the CAFF Farm School came along at just the right time. CAFF teaches sustainable farming practices. The program also provides coursework in business, legal, crop planning, and marketing. All essential areas that Brian needed to study for his goal. He feels that he is getting a well-rounded experience between the coursework and the hands-on farm training at an actual farm. He is incredibly excited about the business knowledge he’s gained and finds it helpful in planning his farm.
When area farmers speak to the CAFF class, Brian enjoys it, saying, “They share their knowledge, and it’s so valuable. They teach us things they didn’t know before starting out but wish they had. We also tour area farms to see their practices. ” Brian describes the CAFF program as “immersive” and says he values the resources to succeed. He plans to go back and reference his class assignments while developing his own farm operation.
When asked what his farming goals are, Brian says, “When I’m dreaming big, I’d like to create, operate, and maintain a sustainable, regenerative farm. One that might be an example and inspiration to others.” That’s a dream that Arkansans can wholeheartedly cheer on while looking forward to a home-grown meal at Brian’s future farm venue.
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