HOMEPLACE ON GREEN RIVER
  • Home Page
  • About Homeplace
    • About Homeplace
    • Our Blog
    • Our Buildings and barns
    • Recipient Goat Herd at Homeplace
    • A Working Farm
    • Our Story: A History of Homeplace >
      • 2019 Review News letter
      • Log pen barn progression photos
  • Rent Homeplace
    • Rent Homeplace
    • Weddings
    • Local Event Services
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Spring Plow Day
    • Fall Heritage Festival
    • Homesteading Conference >
      • Homesteading Conference 2023
      • Review of Homesteading Conference 2022
    • Music in the Barn >
      • Theater in the Barn
    • Vendor Information
    • Campus Map
  • Education Programs
    • Education Programs
    • Student field days
  • Hiking Trail
    • Hiking Trail
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Hours and Contact
    • Board of Directors
  • Support Us
    • Support Us
    • Make a Gift
    • Support the Trails
    • Wishlist
    • volunteer contact
    • Event Sponsorship
    • Homestead Conference Sponsor
    • Fall Heritage Day Sponsorship
  • Home Page
  • About Homeplace
    • About Homeplace
    • Our Blog
    • Our Buildings and barns
    • Recipient Goat Herd at Homeplace
    • A Working Farm
    • Our Story: A History of Homeplace >
      • 2019 Review News letter
      • Log pen barn progression photos
  • Rent Homeplace
    • Rent Homeplace
    • Weddings
    • Local Event Services
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Spring Plow Day
    • Fall Heritage Festival
    • Homesteading Conference >
      • Homesteading Conference 2023
      • Review of Homesteading Conference 2022
    • Music in the Barn >
      • Theater in the Barn
    • Vendor Information
    • Campus Map
  • Education Programs
    • Education Programs
    • Student field days
  • Hiking Trail
    • Hiking Trail
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Hours and Contact
    • Board of Directors
  • Support Us
    • Support Us
    • Make a Gift
    • Support the Trails
    • Wishlist
    • volunteer contact
    • Event Sponsorship
    • Homestead Conference Sponsor
    • Fall Heritage Day Sponsorship

Something is always growing at Homeplace!

Looking to the New Year - Big things will be Growing On The Farm in 2023

11/24/2022

0 Comments

 
The Program Director and Board of Directors are excited to announce our plan to make major renovations to the farm starting in 2023 through an upcoming Capital Campaign we are calling: Growing on the Farm. ​
Homeplace on Green River was established as a non-profit in 2001.  It has grown each year in the 21 years that it has operated. We have added programs, events, activities, and projects one at a time through the dedication of a wonderful board of directors.  Until 2020, the farm was managed solely by the board. In the two years since being joined by a program Director, Homeplace has worked to strengthen our branding, our administrative side of things, and the focus of our ambition. We believe we are well poised to take steps toward the next big adventure.  As stewards of this incredible place, we are tasked with the preservation of the grounds and the wonderful historic buildings on our site.  To ensure they survive through this century and are enjoyed by the community, some much needed renovations must take place.  Beginning in 2023, we will be launching a multiyear capital campaign to fund a massive, multifaceted renovation and improvement project.  This project will have many aspects but essentially three main phases.
Phase One: Raising the Barn​  
Picture
Conceptual Drawing
​We plan a renovation and expansion of the historic Tobacco Barn including
  • A poured concrete floor with a gloss finish
  • A shed addition which will contain:
    • Restrooms
    • Small catering kitchen
    • Storage space
    • Bridal suite
  • A patio space
  • New lighting
  • Ceiling fans
  • Event furniture
  • Sound system
Having such a beautiful and functional facility at Homeplace for rentals and events will allow us to be more financially self-sufficient and enable other more mission-centric programs and activities on the farm. Also, we believe that a beautiful facility will be something the community will enjoy for years to come when we utilize it for our festivals, vendor events, and educational programs.
Phase Two: Going to Market  ​
We want to make our feedlot, with is a 6000 square foot space on an incline more useable by pouring seven 40 by 24 foot concrete terraces and improving the bottom end to showcase our pond.  We will call it The Market Pavillion.  This space will be more handicapped accessible and just more functional.  We will use it for large vendor events, produce/farmers market style spaces as well as a performance/presentation space. 
Phase Three: Bring it Home
The historic Tate House was built in 1802 and has been partially renovated. To make the full house a useable space will require a large investment, but one that we believe is worth while.  We would love for the house to eventually see it’s 300th year and we have an opportunity to help ensure that it can.  We plan to renovate the rest of the home and add a few modern amenities to make it a rental space.  We will rent it to visitors and Event Renters, as well as hold history-focused events and possibly even use it for artist residencies and to host visiting educators.  This will preserve the home while making it a source of financial support for Homeplace. 
Over the next few years, we will be working on grants, holding fundraising events, and reaching out to donors big and small across our region.  A successful Capital Campaign will enable us to grow the farm and protect Homeplace on Green River for generations to come.  This project will benefit our region as well as it will enable us to hold events that draw visitors from a wider area, boosting tourism and local businesses. 
Help Get Us Started!
You can plant a seed at the farm today by making a financial contribution, or by committing to lending a hand later in the campaign.  Click the link to learn more:
​
#HomeplaceForTheHolidays 
0 Comments

2022 Fall Review - Fall Family Fun in the Farm

11/24/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
In October, we had a series of events intended for the children and families of our area.  Each Sunday, we had our corn maze open, and some additional activities were provided by a variety of student groups who partnered with us to add value to the events. Harmon Furniture sponsored the events and covered the costs of all materials! On Saturday, October 22nd, we had a Homeplace Halloween, a pumpkin carving and craft event. Unfortunately, the turnout for all the events was a little low, so next year we will reduce what we offer, but we are glad we tried something new and made some great friends along the way.  We would like to say special thanks to the Campbellsville University Cheer and Dance teams, the Education Club, and the Lindsey Wilson College Bonner Scholars!

​

0 Comments

2022 Fall Review - Trail Run Coming December 17th!

11/24/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Homeplace Holiday Hustle is coming! Rocketpower Brands Inc. is producing an awesome 5/10 K race on December 17th.  They are having the race as a fundraiser for Homeplace, and we are so excited to have folks competing and enjoying our unique trail system.  This event is a great way to rid yourself of holiday cookie guilt!  Sign up today at runsignup.com.

​
0 Comments

2022 Fall Review - Trail News

11/24/2022

0 Comments

 
New Trail Signs
Our agrarian trail is 100% complete now with the addition of these stylish signs! Our own trail master Darren Henson designed and installed these artful metal signs along the beautiful  trail. We think they look pretty sharp! 
Picture
Picture
A new way to support the trail!
We've placed a sign at the trailhead encouraging contributions to help us keep the trails maintained and beautiful for years to come. Donating is as easy as scanning the QR code and pressing a few buttons on your phone.  No amount is too small. We appreciate your support! 
0 Comments

2022 Fall Review - Goat Update!

11/23/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Goats on the farm are thriving!  A second “flush” was completed last week and we are expecting babies from the first round to be born in early December! For those who don’t know, a “flush” is where an impregnated goat is anesthetized and the uterus is physically flushed of fertilized eggs. Those eggs are collected and implanted into “recipient” female goats. As many as 30 fertilized eggs can be collected in one flush allowing one purebred doe to produce a vast quantity of offspring. We are in partnership with local Boer Goat breeders Chris and Marie Anderson who keep their recipient herd here at Homeplace. We just love the life these goats bring to the farm, pun intended! So stop by for a cool weather hike and check out some adorable baby goats in just a few weeks! 

If you are interested in learning more about how a flush works, click the "read more" link for more information and images. Please be advised, images depict a medical procedure and may be too graphic for some viewers. 

Read More
0 Comments

2022 Fall Review - Hitched at Homeplace!

11/23/2022

0 Comments

 

Thank You

Picture
This year, we were blessed to receive a small grant from the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels to make some improvements to our barn spaces. In the Historic Bank Barn, we added darling twinkle lights, a sound system, and a few high-mounted heaters. These heaters will allow our more cold-sensitive guests to enjoy events a little earlier in the spring and a little later in the fall. We were also able to put up some lovely twinkling lights in the Tobacco barn, making the space more appealing for events of all kinds.
We had several couples who were able to take advantage of the improvements to the barns when they tied the knot at Homeplace this fall! 
Homeplace on Green River was honored to be a part of these couples' special day and we wish them all every happiness in their lives together! We are taking bookings now for 2023 and 2024!

Congratulations to the Happy Couples!

Picture
Alisha and Jason Pace
​Married August 27th, 2022
Picture
Meghan and Garret Haggerty
Married October 8th, 2022


​
Picture
Cindy and Tommy Corbin
Married October 21st, 2022
Picture
Destiny and Jonathan Rakes
Married October 1st, 2022
Picture
Brittany and Ryan Bartley
Married October 15th, 2022


​
0 Comments

2022 Fall Review - The Heartland Homesteading Conference

11/22/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Early last year we were approached by members of the Homestead Preparedness Network and asked if we would be interested in partnering to host and co-produce an event focused on homesteading education.  What is Homesteading you ask? Homesteading is a sometimes difficult concept to put fully into words, but in its most basic iteration, it's a lifestyle focused on self-sufficiency and subsistence agriculture.  For most homesteaders, this means growing one’s own food and raising one’s own meat, food preservation, employing the principles of permaculture, repairing one’s own tools, equipment, clothing, and other items, and practicing good stewardship of the land. 
We realized that not only is Homeplace the perfect facility for a homesteading conference, but that these are the very values our local culture is built upon. So when we had the opportunity to partner with the wonderful Homestead Preparedness Network, we felt like it was a match made in Heaven. Thus, the Heartland Homesteading Conference was born!
Picture
This three-day family-friendly conference was from September 16th to the 18th.  Attendants could come for one, two, or all three of the days and had the option of camping right on the grounds so they could mingle and build new friendships.  We had guest speakers from 7 different states.  They did demonstrations and spoke on all these incredible topics:
  • Gardening tips
  • Cultivating fruit trees
  • Guide to hoof health
  • An introduction to blacksmithing
  • Raising and breeding milk goats
  • A beginners guide to raising Alpacas and processing their wool
  • How to build and use a ram pump (pumps water from source with no electricity)​
  • Raising and processing rabbits
  • Processing chickens
  • Processing pigs
  • Bee keeping
  • Managing a healthy Homestead
  • Managing a productive and prepared Homestead
  • Medicinal herbs and trees
  • Edible native plants
  • And more!

Picture
Homeplace on Green River is Proud to have found a new Partner with The Homestead Preparedness Network, now called the Mutual Assistance Group Network, to organize and host Central Kentucky's Homesteading Conference.  Homeplace and the M.A.G. Network share a mission to create programming and content which promotes responsible land management and stewardship, best environmentally conscious practices, self-reliance, and foster fellowship and the sharing of knowledge and resources amongst like-minded people interested in the lifestyle of homesteading.  
​

Our event was attended by over 200 people and we believe this is just the beginning. We know that the homesteading community, especially amongst the younger generation, is strong and getting stronger.  While the movement has been gathering speed for several years, the pandemic most assuredly added fuel to the fire and we feel there has never been a better time to get involved in a big way with homesteading education.

The next conference has already been set for September 29th-October 1st of 2023.  We can’t wait!


Enjoy this slide show of images from the conference!

0 Comments

Fall 2022 Review - Our Fall Heritage Festival

11/22/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
​The 14th annual Fall Heritage was September 10th this year.
The weather just barely held off for us and it was a lovely day.  The threat of rain slightly diminished attendance, but the turnout was steady and everyone had a great time.  We were blessed to have the folks from the Liberty Nature Center back after a 3-year Covid-related absence.  They brought their raptors which made the experience quite a hoot! The kids from the Taylor County 4-H Livestock Club were absolute rockstars. In addition to bringing their adorable animals to delight the public, they brought kids games, and informational displays, and helped with the horse rides. Thank you 4H! We are so proud to have these amazing young people on the farm. Of course we had our craft and food vendors, and great live music. Folks also enjoyed the kiddie barrel train, hay and wagon rides.  All in all it was a great day!

Enjoy this slide show of the events of the day!

The Heartland Homesteading Conference ​
0 Comments

Summer 2022 Newsletter

7/11/2022

0 Comments

 
By Lyn Stanton & Billy Joe Fudge
Picture
July storm rolling across the farm.
Dear Friends,

​Summer is here in all its sweltering glory. The fields are plowed and sown. Schools are out of session, their regular wards turned to lose upon their families and yards. Sidewalks are scorching and making time to visit the lake or the pool is a weekly priority for many. Each evening, the smell of cook-outs glides through the air in our towns, and ice cream just tastes its best this time of year. Farms are busy and bustling with animals enjoying the season’s bounty and the days are filled with never-ending chores. All the heat, the sun, the work, the games, the time with family and friends, all these things make the fabric of life in the summer. There is such wonder and magic to it. 

But for all the simple joy summer brings, there is much to cause us anxiety and unease these days. 
Without going into many particulars, we can say 2022 is a year of uncertainty for all of us.  High fuel costs, high fertilizer costs, high costs of everything, and drought conditions in Kentucky and much of the surrounding area are contributing to that sense of uncertainty.  However, in the true spirit of the American Way, we are plowing forward. And at Homeplace, we are finding ways to provide some relief from economic woes with affordable rental rates, accessible family festivals, and dynamic education programs teaching self-reliance and sustainability, subscribing to that old adage about giving a fish, versus showing how to use a pole.

But before we dive into whats to come, let us share with you some highlights from the year so far as we have rounded the halfway marker.  We also want to make sure to thank all the great businesses and folks who have helped us this Spring!  So let's take a look back to our 2022 Plow Day Spring Festival. After missing our festivals in 2020 because of Covid and a wet 2021 Plow Day, we had an extremely successful event on the last Saturday of April.  Thanks should go out to all our event sponsors, demonstrators, our hardworking and devoted board members, vendors, and those that sacrificed their time and energy to stage our many events, including folks who hauled their horses and mules from all over Kentucky and beyond.  Enjoy a few snap shots of the day!
Spring Plow Day 2022 Slide Show

Picture
Picture
We were blessed this Spring to have received a grant from our local Campbellsville Walmart, which allowed us to design and purchase two big, bright new road signs so folks can't miss us! 
Picture


​Wedding announcements!

​
​ Congratulations Mrs. April and Mr. Danny Berry, who were married at Homeplace on June 11th.

Rental price change coming in 2023!
We want to let folks know that our prices will be increasing beginning in January of 2023, but all contracts made with deposits paid before then will honor the current price, so if you want to save on your event in 2023, book now!

Picture
Picture

​
​Something to look forward to, we received a grant from The Honorable Kentucky Colonels to improve our barns with some bling, some bass, and some heat! We have purchased heaters, a sound system, and a ton of warm twinkle lights to install in our Bank Barn!  Starting this fall, our barns will have a permanent sparkle after we wrap the interior poles in the lights and in the bank barn, guests will be able to link a play list from their phone right to the sound system via blue tooth.  Plus, as the weather shifts towards winter, we will be able to keep parties going with some high mounted heaters to keep our barn in use for much more of the year. 


​Looking Here at the Homeplace Farm, we have been beating the heat by keeping busy and getting ready for a very busy lineup of fabulous events coming soon for our community and region. Now saddle up your mule, hitch up your britchen' and let’s ride into the future. This summer and early fall are crammed full of family-friendly activities.  Our calendar has never been this intense.​

Picture
Picture
On July, 14, our Goat Recipient Program will officially be born (pardon the pun) before our eyes.  I know most of you are getting ready to “Google” Goat Recipient Program right about now, so let me explain. 

Generally speaking, there are two commercial types of goats; milk goats and meat goats.  The milk goat males, of course, do not produce milk and are sold for the meat market.  Their slender body type usually produces a small and low-quality carcass for the market.  Consequently, many milk goat producers are using meat goat bucks to introduce hybrid vigor into their milk goat herds which produce better carcass weight and quality.  

Goats typically give birth to one, two or three kids (baby goats).  However, they will most often produce several more embryos that will fail to develop into fetuses.  Producers of valuable meat goat breeding stock such as the Boer breed do not want to waste these valuable embryos.  Therefore, they often use surrogates and harvest the extra embryos from their females and implant them into females of other breeds to act as mothers for the high value Boer goat kids.

Homeplace is proud and thankful to be partnering with Chris and Marie Anderson of Boerderline Goat Farm of Campbellsville, Ky.  There are currently about 40 nanny goats being lodged at Homeplace which will soon become surrogate mothers to Boerderline and other area goat farm embryos.  On July 14th we will have an embryologist here on the farm who will spend the entire day flushing does and implanting them into surrogates on the farm.  The goats which reside here are not just surrogate mothers, but lovely and delightful little clowns who enjoy their peaceful pasture and visits from people.  Soon we will have some feeders installed so that visitors can toss cracked corn and other treats.  We welcome you to stop by to see them and us! 

Upcoming Events

Picture

​​Trail Run!

August 20th & 21st

A 12 hour trail run called The Possum! For more information and to sign up, visit our website. It is run on a 5K agrarian and wooded trail with a change of scenery around every turn, over every hill and down each valley.    
​

Picture
​Fall Heritage Festival 

September 10th 

South Central Kentucky’s favorite, the 2022 Fall Heritage Festival! It will be bigger and better than ever with additional family oriented programming. Craft vendors, barrel train rides, hay rides, a hay maze, petting farm, guided hikes, pony rides, a raptor exhibit and new this year, a corn maze! And don’t forget the food to go along with the fun!  ​Just $20 per vehicle.

Picture

Heartland Homesteading Conference

September 16th-18th 

 Whether you are new to homesteading, an old pro, or just wanting to learn how to be more self-dependent during these perilous times, there is much to be learned from the many classes, booths and presentations. From blacksmithing to raising milk goats, to medicinal herbs to processing chickens, this conference is a not to be missed. Visit with old friends and make many new ones at this special event.   
​

Picture

Family Farm Day

November 5th
​

We will have a butchering demonstration, an old-fashioned corn picking event, a beekeeping lecture, and more! We'll have more details soon, but make sure you put this on your calendar!

Picture

October Family Fun

Every Sunday in October

We have planted a HUGE corn patch right next to campus and are working on carving it out into a maze pattern.  Each Sunday in October we will have the maze open for visitors.  We are partnering with a series of Campbellsville University, and Lindsey Wilson College student groups and will split the proceeds from admission with these partners to continue their good works. 

Picture

Homeplace Halloween

Saturday, October 22nd
9am-3pm eastern

Bring the whole family to Homeplace for a day of fun crafts and activities. Leave the mess at home, purchase a pumpkin grown right in Campbellsville from 4E Farms to paint, or carve the Hay Maze will be open, and we'll have crafts in the bank barn, games on the field, a hay maze in the bottom of the bank barn and fairy and troll houses on the trail! We are partnering with a series of Campbellsville University, and Lindsey Wilson College student groups and will split the proceeds from admission with these partners to continue their good works. Kids are encouraged to wear and show off their costumes!
0 Comments

Spring 2022 Newsletter

3/1/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
​By Billy Joe Fudge

​Near the end of the last century, my oldest daughter asked me to perform the marriage blessing and prayer at her reception.  This was to be my first foray into the wonderful world of marriage blessings and prayers.  Given that lack of experience, I set out immediately to petition the Lord Almighty to send Divine inspiration and soon. Well, as is His nature or should I say His Super Nature, He took what I considered to be an immoderate amount of time in downloading it to me.  Thankfully it arrived just in time.  You may not be in the market for a marriage blessing and prayer but just in case you are, here are the first four lines of mine.

“May your springs be green with renewal,
May your summers be cooled by a soft breeze,
May your autumns be filled with color and
May your winters be warmed by your love for each other”…
Picture

​Yes, it is March, the first month of spring, and spring is indeed a time of renewal.  The first plants to go green in spring are perennials.  Perennials have roots that have held sugars and nutrients all winter long while waiting patiently for spring to arrive.  Sunlight, warming temperatures, and spring rains trigger the movement of sugar and nutrient ladened liquids from the roots up through the stems of plants that do not suffer winter dieback such as trees.  The sap travels to the end of twigs and limbs where the buds and leaf meristems use this super juice to grow new and longer stems, leaves, and flowers.  Those perennials that die back such as clovers, grasses, and plants that come back from underground stems and bulbs such as onions, crocuses, etc. will usually respond earlier in the spring than woody-stemmed plants.

Picture
In our WINTER 2021 NEWSLETTER I made the following statement or promise.  I said, “winter is going to be chocked full of planning and growing the Homeplace on Green River/Kentucky’s Outdoor Classroom brand” and that has certainly been the case.  The planning is ongoing with a couple of grants applied for, the appointment of five new energetic, talented and creative board members, and the table is set for hundreds and hundreds of students to attend educational field days this year.  Also, the seeds are planted for expanding existing events like our Plow Day Spring Festival on April 30th, the Fall Heritage Festival on September 10th and Family Farm Day on November 5th.  Additionally, we are working on other events for the Fall, the likes of which have yet to come to the Commonwealth of Kentucky.  We are still in planning, but we look forward to sharing the particulars of these when we have them sorted and are ready to unveil our plans.

Picture
We have also been increasing our outreach to get the word out about our facility for rentals, and are on track to book more events this year than ever before. Our beautiful and historic campus carries the stories of countless families from our region who have celebrated life’s moments at Homeplace in Green River, and we are so proud to be an integral part of people’s special days. Our rental income supports our operational expenses and our Kentucky’s Outdoor Classroom programming.
​ 

Picture
So, we have sap already running up the stems of perennials, and seeds are planted in good soil and will soon be germinating and producing for all to see.  We are excited.  The future of your Homeplace on Green River/Kentucky’s Outdoor Classroom is bright.  It is true that it is going to be a busy spring.  It is true that we need much help.  It is true that you have done much and we thank each and every individual, business, or organization that has invested time and talent, and treasure to assist us in our efforts “to protect and promote rural American culture through the sustainability of agriculture and natural resources, utilizing education, conservation and the economic opportunities of agritourism”.            

0 Comments
<<Previous

Location

5807 New Columbia Rd. 
Campbellville, Ky 42718

follow Us

    Subscribe Today!

Submit