Glasgow Market Connects Community, Farmers
Story by Jamie Biesiada
Animals have always been a passion for Glasgow resident Lexie Spohn, who graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2017 with a degree in agriculture and a concentration in animal science. But she never wanted that passion to turn into a job, so she went in a different direction professionally and works in manufacturing.
Yet animals still called her, so she started a hobby farm she named Fluffy Butt Farm. “I focus more on a holistic approach toward taking care of my animals, and I want to make sure that they have the best quality of life,” Lexie says. “That’s something that’s very important to me.”
Today, Fluffy Butt Farm is home to chickens, dogs, cats, horses and goats. She’s always had horses, but for Lexie, the chickens were really her starting point for farm animals. She has 84 birds—most have names and big personalities, like Peekaboo, Waffles, and Gigi. Last year, they produced more eggs than Lexie could use on her own.
Expanding Access to Fresh Food
She started selling her eggs for $5 a dozen at the Bounty of the Barrens Farmers Market in Glasgow’s town square, accompanied each week by her beagle, Otis.
A group of citizens hoping to better their community started the market about 17 years ago, says Griffin Botts, executive director of Sustainable Glasgow.
In peak season, the market runs every Saturday. In the winter, it’s the first and third Saturdays of each month. A Kentucky Proud market, everything sold at Bounty of the Barrens is grown, created, or cultivated by the vendor. Shoppers can find flowers, produce, honey, meat, dairy, crafts, and more.
Griffin says the market serves the farmers, who enjoy the direct connection to consumers, and raises funds for the Kentucky Double Dollars program to subsidize the purchase of fresh, local food for Kentuckians in need.
“Our number 1 thing is just trying to expand access to fresh fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs, and dairy,” Griffin says.
Later this year, the market will move from the town square to a new structure on West Main Street, next to the post office. There will be indoor and outdoor spaces for vendors and room for potential growth.
“I think that we are really interested in how we can use that space to build community more, to be able to showcase the farmers and to talk about the resiliency of the agricultural system,” Griffin says.
Social media is an important tool to spread the word about the market, he says. To keep up with the latest updates, follow Bounty of the Barrens Farmers Market on Facebook or bountyofthebarrens on Instagram.