Interview with Owners of Wild Wood Farms

To gain more insight into the feasibility of sustainable farming in Kentucky we conducted an interview via Facebook with the Kris and Gypsy Hubbard, owners of Wild Wood Farms and Wild Wood Farms Heirloom Seed Company, located in Artemus, Knox County, Kentucky.

Q: In your farming, do you use chemicals, fertilizers, etc., or do you consider your farming to be organic and or sustainable?

A: "Our farm is organic and non-GMO. We use fertilizers that we make on the farm, such as raising fish then using their excrement in aquaponics greenhouses and their carcasses in our compost, using grass/herbs steeped in water as fertilizer teas. We make our own compost. As [for] pesticides, we make our own. We actually grow Neem tree and pyrethrum, and make [natural] oils and spray from them. We also use diatomaceous earth (Hubbard and Hubbard)."

Q: Is your farm your only means of income?

A: "We are the largest private seed bank in Kentucky. We are also the only coffee producer in the state [of Kentucky]. We own and run Wild Wood Farms Heirloom Seed Company which sells non-GMO heirloom seeds and plants. We have an apiary (raise bees) and sell honey, make candles and other products from the wax, plus they pollinate our crops. We raise and sale (sic) livestock and the Llamas/Alpacas/Sheep/Emus are used for the extra products they create (wool, fiber, emu oil, etc.) We also produce dried herbs, popcorn, coffee, cornmeal, etc. We also make soaps, salves, oils, essential oils, vinegars, etc. All [of] our income comes from the farms (Hubbard and Hubbard)."

Photo courtsey Wild Wood Farms on Facebook.

Q: Do you consider sustainable farming to be a feasible means of farming, in terms of affordability?

A: "Start up cost in all farming can be a definite road block, but with my farming, for instance, all the plants I grow and produce are not genetically modified, so I can save seed and repeat the process. I don’t have to buy seed every spring, which saves a lot of money. Sustainable farming, whether it is urban or rural farms, are the only way we will survive as a civilization; big agriculture and the use of chemicals will, and is, destroying us. As far as sustainable farms being financially viable, YES. It is all about your personal will, ambition, and strength to succeed. It is the presentation of your products, playing to what works for you, and using every means necessary to advertise, and be innovative in your farming skills and salesmanship (Hubbard and Hubbard)."

Q: Do you receive assistance from the government (subsidies, tax breaks, etc.) to help in your sustainable farming?

A: "No assistance from anyone, [it’s] too hard to get and never seem to be available, so I never tried. Plus I like to know that I accomplished everything without help (Hubbard and Hubbard)."

Q: Do you have any other comments about sustainable agriculture in Kentucky?

A: "Once you have experienced “real” farming, it is a feeling that I have only related to what our ancestors must have felt, to wake up and be a part of something that continuously changes and grows, to experience the hardship of work and labor, knowing that each drop of sweat rolling form your brow, brings you even closer to your day’s goal, and at the end of the a cool breeze strikes your face, leaning upon your barn to rest, you look out into the field and realize you are done for the day and feel blessed. To create as God creates, almost live as he does, it’s an amazing feeling to farm (sic) (Hubbard and Hubbard)."

For more information visit Wild Wood Farms on Facebook here, and Wild Wood Farms Heirloom Seed Company on Facebook here.

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