It’s a rare and beautiful thing when you are able to see someone’s life passion taking shape, living and breathing. Rare enough is actually knowing what your purpose is in this world. It had been quite some time since I had encountered an individual with this inherent self-knowledge, however when I met Maggie Keith, it didn’t take long for me to learn that she had the sails of Foxhollow set for a very important journey. Along with her mother, Janey Newton, Maggie owns and operates Foxhollow Farm, located in Crestwood, KY. Sitting on 1,300 acres, Foxhollow is a biodynamic farm raising grass-fed beef. Committed to sustainability, you sense the deep respect for the land that the members of the Foxhollow Family have as soon as you set foot on their ground. It is on this ground that nature is encouraged to come into it’s own. Never touched by chemical fertilizers or pesticides, the grass grows freely and the cattle feed without care or restriction. See that berry? Pick it and savor the burst of juice in that first bite, knowing that it is exactly as nature intended it to be. There is a mutual respect in this friendship between the people of Foxhollow and the land of Foxhollow. A respect that has been nurtured for over 65 years. My recent visit to Foxhollow began at the Farmer’s Market and ended in the Foxhollow Farm Center where I learned the art of canning. I quickly realized that there is much more going on here than raising cattle and harvesting vegetables. This beautiful union between the people and the planet allows for greater enlightenment and you know they are on to something worthwhile. I, for one, can’t wait to see what happens next. Of the earth, for the earth, follow along as Foxhollow takes us from farm, to table, offering food we can feel good about eating, in body, mind and spirit.
Yesterday marked the first day of the 2012 Farmer’s Market season. Z and I set out early (for a Saturday, that is…) and made our way to the parking lot of Beargrass Christian Church in St. Matthews. Foxhollow’s booth is perched at the corner of the Shelbyville Road entrance. A u-shape of fresh herbs, bright-green lettuces and beautiful, edible nasturtium dance along the color-wheel, just singing for you to take them home and marry them with a seemingly endless variety of grass-fed beef. It is nearly impossible to ignore their advances. And why should you? Packages of ground sausage and ground chuck quickly filled our basket along with a head of fresh lettuce and a purse of microgreens. I felt a familiar sense of urgency to get home and start experimenting immediately. This is what amazing ingredients and a passion for cooking will do to a foodie-girl. It is a ledge I often have to talk myself off of – time, love and patience will bring out the very best qualities in these ingredients. After all, those are the values with which they were raised.
From the market I set out for the farm. I purposefully took the long way, winding down river road and skipping over to Covered Bridge. Living downtown, I made a point to focus on the feeling of ‘getting out of town.’ I appreciated the small lanes, the sharp curves and the rolling country-side. And yes, I absolutely rolled my windows down, turned the music up and sang as loud as my lungs would allow. This was an escape – I was going somewhere special!
Arriving at Foxhollow, I turned into their long drive, continuing past the tall grass, following the wooden markers. The quiet of the country-side gives way to whispers of children playing. I soon approach a playground, a newly constructed addition to the farm’s landscape. Boys and girls were clambering up the tower and diving down the slide while their parents relaxed on the grass, taking pause from the business of life. Adjacent to the playground is the farm store, open on Saturdays from 10-5. Here you will find a plethora of locally-made, artisanal items such as honey, sauces, candles, free-range chicken and fresh milk. Freezers are perfectly arranged with Foxhollow’s beef and the deeply purple color shines through, not a mark of enhancement present. Books about the Slow Food Movement – something Maggie and Foxhollow are highly involved with – line the tables and guests flip through their pages while waiting for their burgers to appear, cooked-to-order in the kitchen. Everyone is relaxed and calm.
The Art of Canning is just one of multiple classes and workshops offered at the Foxhollow Farm Center. From Beginner Beekeeping to Felting and Veil Painting, classic art forms and techniques are brought to life. It often seems in this day and age that we are in a relentless pursuit of making things faster and easier. These workshops force you to stop and focus, not on your iPhone, but on the felt/bees/berries in front of you. This is one of the reasons I came to love cooking so much. I can check-out for a while and loose myself in the kneading of pasta dough or the dicing of an onion. Now I will be adding canning to this list of therapeutic activities!
Our class began with a brief tour of the grounds. Strolling past chamomile, Maggie told us of Foxhollow’s history and growth, from 30 to 250 head of cattle. We approached a juneberry tree and Maggie had us pluck berries from their stems. We were sampling what would be a part of our fruit preserve mixture. The lighter berries were tart and slightly bitter, while the darker, ruby-red berries were rich and sweet, the small seed in the center reminiscent of a blueberry. It was my first juneberry and will most certainly not be my last.
Juneberries sampled, it was now time for class! Canning was a completely new art-form for me. My parents gave me a complete canning-kit for Christmas and I had been anxious, but intimidated, to try my hand at it. Maggie Galloway led the course and her enthusiasm, knowledge and passion were palpable.
As soon as we took our seats we were treated to the a sample of the strawberry-junberry jam we were about to make. I was not at all prepared for the burst of natural sweetness that the silky, delightfully sticky jelly offered.
It was the same feeling I had the first time I made ice cream (post to come next week!). Seven simple, NATURAL, ingredients combine and deliver flavors that will blow any store-bought variety out of the water. At that moment I had a brief vision of the future, and I saw myself over the stove, hundreds of canned vegetables and fruits surrounding our small counter. Yep, I was going to enjoy this new skill.
Mason jars filled with steaming ladles of berries, Maggie G. placed them gently in to the boiling water of the canning pot and then, once sealed, set them aside where they could wait patiently, not to be disturbed for 24 hours.
Future posts with step-by-step instructions of my at-home-attempts of canning are to come. For now, I encourage you to sign up for a course at Foxhollow and see for yourself what a wonderful place it is. I am confident that you will not only learn a new skill but will be put in touch with a peaceful part of yourself. A place that can only be found when you escape the stressors of this busy life, leaving them behind for the green pastures and blooms of the Kentucky country-side. This Saturday marks the second annual Spring Festival at Foxhollow, benefiting Gilda’s Club of Louisville. I can’t think of a better opportunity to roll down the windows and drive through the hills, making your way home to Foxhollow. It is a day sure to be enjoyed by all. And swing by the food booth to say hello – I’ll be there all day 
