AS YOU look from your desk to the nearby window, nature’s blossoming limbs wave to you. The birdsong and blue sky seem to defy the concrete and office buildings surrounding you, but the stress inside pulls you back into reality. Notification dings from your phone and laptop tap your shoulder, demanding attention. Your work week may last a few days longer, but the date on your calendar confirms the reservation for your three-day weekend escape to an unplugged life.
You can’t wait! You stare at the photos online throughout the day, imagining the glass no longer separating you from spring’s celebrations. The screened front of your Adirondack cabin invites stargazing and gentle breezes. Crickets and hoot owls lull you to sleep, and the mockingbird awakes you — not your cell phone alarm.
Breakfast over the fire pit and showers in the open bathhouse prepare you for the day. A tour of the property is first on your agenda, followed by a family hike at a nearby state park. Finish the day gathered around the fire pit again under the glow of solar-powered string lights. With the stars in view, your cabin welcomes you for another peaceful night’s sleep.
It’s not a spring fever-induced delusion. It’s a reality when you visit Crossing Creeks Farm in Shelbyville, a local agribusiness featuring regenerative farming, RV and open-air camping, and sales of grass-fed meats, eggs, and locally sourced products. Its on-site commercial kitchen offers take-and-bakes, dairy, beverages, desserts, bone broths, and other organic, nutrient-rich foods.
Good-for-you food, farm living, and hospitality permeate the atmosphere at Crossing Creeks, a 125-acre farm purchased in 2012 by Shane and Elizabeth Stuart alongside Elizabeth’s parents, Reid and Susan Farmer. What started as an idea for a generational farm soon grew into a passion for nutrient-dense beef and a desire to feed their family the best possible food.
From there, they expanded to sharing their food with the community. Elizabeth said, “My parents are the true inspiration behind Crossing Creeks Farm. Through their own health journey, they connected the quality of food they consumed to the quality of their health. And so to better feed them, ourselves, and our community, we stepped into farming over 15 years ago.”
They knew how they farmed would influence the quality of the foods they produced.
“We practice regenerative farming with intensive rotational grazing, which puts our focus on healing the soil first,” Elizabeth said. “This results in healthier animals, which in turn produces nutrient-dense meats and eggs for our community.”
Their farm kitchen and store connects farmers and artisans committed to improved lifestyles. It offers these sellers a storefront for their goods, strengthening our community through collaboration.
“We currently work with Belle Fleur Farms for their organically grown produce and Red Hill Farm for their organic jams and sourdough bread, both of which are located right here in Bedford County,” Elizabeth said. “These partnerships support our local customers as well as traveling guests for a convenient one-stop shop for all things local. During their visit, guests and customers can enjoy freshly made treats from our on-site commercial kitchen and a latte, smoothie, muffin, or brownie from our kitchen window.”
The farm’s convenient location to Bedford County’s historical sites and events and its location near the Tennessee Whiskey Trail makes for the perfect place to stay overnight. There are RV and camper pads with hookups and charming open-air Adirondack cabins with everything you need.
New things are developing this year as well.
Elizabeth said, “We are currently working on remodeling a 1970s block garage into a stunning Airbnb for guests to stay year-round, with plans to open in the spring of 2024. In the summer of 2023, we had the opportunity to create an educational nonprofit, The Bridge at Crossing Creeks, here on the farm in order to create workshops and classes for our community to gain hands-on learning experiences for farming and homesteading. With continued support from our community, we hope to expand our educational offerings in 2024.”
Through these and other offerings, like their horseback riding program, the family connects with guests on a deeper level as they spend more time on the regenerative farm. “Our greatest joy of hosting is when a guest or their child encoun- ters farming for the first time, like watching a chicken peck the ground or lay an egg or watching a calf take its first steps,” Elizabeth enthused.
An unplugged adventure awaits you at Crossing Creeks Farm. Visit for a day, overnight, or longer, immersing yourself in the beauty of nature and the healthier options for nourishing your mind, body, and soul. Put a visit on your calendar. Lean back, breathe deep, and smile. Everyone around you may still be stressed and think you’ve finally lost it, but you know better. Blame it on spring fever! GN
