Can you imagine being nearly self sufficient? Growing certified organic produce, meat, poultry and vegetables, bottling milk, collecting rainwater, even grinding your own flour? Fueling a delivery truck with natural gas available on your property to share your bounty with others? Averaging a once monthly trip to the grocery for convenience foods and paper goods?
That’s just what Ralph and Kimberlie Cole of West Wind Farms are doing.
As I drove up the driveway to West Wind Farms, climbing the hill between a hardwood forest and into the farm entrance,I was blown away to see an elk bouncing toward my car. In 2000 and 2001 the TWRA,Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, began reintroducing Elk into the area. This particular elk has decided she likes life at West Wind Farms, they try to ignore her so she doesn’t become too tame, but that has not stopped the neighbors from naming her Elsie. Then I met Ripley and Puppy their two dogs, who became my escorts the second day , while I was photographing, again. I made the two hour drive to Deer Lodge, TWICE last week. My camera died after about four shots the day I went to talk with Kimberlie. When I returned the next day, with my daughter’s NIkon, many things had changed since the day before. Proof that life on a farm is ever changing work. The boar had a new pen to cultivate, the sheep had been moved to a new area, as not to eat all the grass away and raw milk was being bottled in the Certified Organic barn. But that sweet little newborn lamb was still curious as before.
As Kimberlie began to share their story with me, I was once again reminded of the simple beauty and calm she and women like Alice Waters, Gwenth Paltrow and the vegetarian waitress in Sequim possess.
Though successful organic farmers, the Cole’s did not set out to be farmers. When Kimberlie was entering her ‘thirties’ she says they began to think about what was really important to her and her husband, what their values were, and what direction in life they wanted to go. They set out to no longer contribute to the exorbitant extent of consumerism. They both really enjoyed being outside. Working with nature was a natural, Kimberlie is an environmental specialist and Ralph a Geotechnical Soil Scientist at DOE in Oak Ridge, TN. They did not, however, know that in working with nature it would mean working with animals. Both ‘city-fied’ kids, Kimberlie grew up living in a downtown apartment, and neither had any experience in farming. Kimberlie smiled as she told me about the first chicken they processed. In one had she would be holding a chicken part in the other a chicken anatomy book. She referred to that book many times that day, “it still has the bloody finger prints to prove it!”
The one hundred acre farm they fell in love with, located on the Cumberland Plateau in Deer Lodge, Tennessee, demanded animals. Because the soil is shallow animals were the best fit, for the type of sustainable farming they would practice. It took all they had financially and then some to get started, but they had found their mission. “Our goal is to build and improve the soil, provide a healthy environment for the animals, support our community, and produce nutritious, high quality food for people like YOU!”
The Cole’s offer mail order, CSA shares and weekly farmers markets in many areas nearby. In addition they provide something unique to their customers in Knoxville and surrounding areas, a delivery service. For those unable to make it to the Farmers Market at a particular time, you can call and place an order to be picked up at your convenience, at an area host home. Keep in mind items are frozen, so you do want to pick up within a reasonable about of time. This way you can plan your meals ahead and be sure to get the cuts of meat and types of dairy you would like.
I signed up for the service last week, we received 2 boneless pork chops and a whole chicken. That night I roasted the boneless pork chops with a mustard glaze, my husband declared it was even better than the pork chop dish at our once favorite upscale Bearden restaurant. That was a huge compliment.
I am so intrigued by their lifestyle, I asked many questions about the foods they enjoy, eating and cooking. Her favorite comfort meal- Boston Butt Roast in the crock pot with mashed potatoes and fresh from the garden vegetables. She learned to cook from her mother, who learned in France. So she prepare fresh foods simply and doesn’t overly concern herself with fat and calorie content. Quoting Julia Child, "You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients."
I asked what would I be surprised to find in her kitchen, she chuckled and gave me two very interesting answers- M&M’s and lard. I have been reading about the benefits of using lard. Kimberlie believes “animal fats feed your brain, that they are satisfying, flavorful and filling.” Which got me to thinking about how often we blame food for filling an emotional need when in reality we may be trying to fill a nutritional need. Obviously the low fat, low calorie, deprivation of flavor diet is not working, just look at our obesity rate in America.
I asked Kimberlie what message she would like to send out to readers. She responded, “with all the hype about organics, apart from nutritional value and environmental benefits... she would emphasize the flavor, once you enjoy the flavor of organically grown, you’ll never go back!”
On the horizon at West Wind Farm:
Solar panels to operate the walk-in freezers. Saving 7500KW a month
A meat CSA.
Salt cured ham w/o nitrites
Chicken sausages
A smoke house
You can learn more by visiting their website www.grassorganic.com
