In the midst of most family farms, is a house called the home place. When you layer that with the appreciation of food, family and hospitality that runs so deep in western Kentucky, you get the Peery House at Springhill Farms! And in this episode, we talk to three generations of the family about changes unfolding over the years at their home place.
Growing up it was home for Jerry Peery. While growing 65 years of corn, soybeans, wheat and more, he also grew the farm’s footprint adding acres as others moved away or stopped farming. Now he’s working with his grandson Jonathan to take over the operation for future generations.
Kristia Peery Reynolds learned to bake in the house as her grandmom showed her the secrets of perfect mixtures and beautiful decorations.
As the house sat vacant, the family considered options for it. Ultimately, it got a renovation that would make it easy for the family and others to stay in touch with the heritage. The Peery House is now a bed and breakfast, with a commercial kitchen for Kristia’s baking business. (Like Sugarwater Manor but so different too!
We talk about the farm’s history, the decision to make changes and what guests can expect when visiting a working farm in Western Kentucky!
Soils, Grain & Oilseeds
One of the benefits of having a bed and breakfast on the farm, is having a chance to talk with people who may not have had the chance to grow up in a rural area. In fact, the Peery family enjoys having a chance to answer questions and even show guests around a bit or put them up in a tractor’s buddy seat.
I was lucky enough to get a tour of the farm with Jerry & Jonathan talking about the various ways they keep a focus on soil health and the environment. And the timing of the tour was perfect because canola/rapeseed was in full bloom (Lesley Rae Kelly talks about canola in a past episode). This was a bit different than canola and is more aptly called rapeseed. Jonathan tells me it is a fairly new version that can be used for industrial purposes including biofuels. This is the second year the family grew it so they are paying close attention as you’ll see in the video, still learning some of the ins and outs of it.
Hospitality & Air BnB
Another change in the last several years was converting the family’s home place to a getaway for guests. The house was renovated and yet, reminds me of all the best memories of being home with family. From the family photos and antiques, to the snacks left for guests, you really can’t help but feel welcome.
I may never recover from leaving the house with A DOZEN CUPCAKES! Some of the great old favorites like Kristia’s grandmom’s strawberry cake recipe and new ones like maple bacon or bourbon pecan topping! I had to share about them on the Grounded by the Farm Instagram channel.
View this post on Instagram
Find The Peery House online
