Family Farm Cultivates Community
Little Fall Creek Farm Serves Locals Home-Grown Food
Story and photos by Craig Reed
For several years, Scott and Kelly Barrows talked about their goal of growing as much of their food as possible.
In March 2021, the couple decided not only to grow their own food full-time, but also open a business, Little Fall Creek Farm, sharing their homemade and pasture-raised products with the public.
“We wanted to grow our food here, we wanted to grow our family here,” says Kelly of the couple’s property alongside Little Fall Creek 17 miles southeast of Springfield.
The Barrows sell poultry, milk, eggs, artisan sourdough bread, cookies, and other baked items. They open their farm on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. year-round and sell all their products from there.
A statement on the farm’s website explains the beginning of the business.
“Our long-shared interest in gardening and raising livestock began to come to fruition a decade ago when we lived on a neglected family plot that was once a thriving farm. Since then, we’ve been raising rabbits, various poultry, sheep and goats, pigs and bees.”
Nick Leidig has been a regular Sunday visitor and customer to Little Fall Creek Farm.
“The farm has become a magnet for the community who gather to stock up on weekly supplies of meat, milk, eggs and delightful baked goods,” Nick says. “Scott and Kelly try to have all your favorites available, yet are always dreaming up innovative new offerings to entice you out of your rut to try some new treat.”
JJ Boggs is another customer of the farm since its first Sunday of business.
“Scott and Kelly put so much love and care into their products, from the ingredients they choose to the flavor combinations and the way they raise their animals,” she says. “Guaranteed if you stop by once, you’ll soon be dreaming about your next visit and that delicious loaf of bread, new doughnut glaze or chicken dinner.
“They have been such a great fit to the Fall Creek community,” she adds. “Their farm offers such a peacefulness that you can experience with their family, animals and the environment they’ve created. It’s worth the drive to their farm.”
Scott and Kelly were apartment dwellers when they were college students—Kelly at the University of Oregon and Scott at Lane Community College. They met at the coffee shop where Scott was working. They married 13 years ago.
After moving to their farm 10 years ago, Scott worked off the farm for 7 years and then spent his free time working with Kelly on developing their property. They now have 5 acres in food production.
“We didn’t have a concrete plan or idea for what we wanted to grow into, but we knew we wanted to get started,” Kelly says. “We put a lot of attention into being flexible for what works for the business and for our family.”
Scott, 39, and Kelly, 37, have 5 children—Suzanna, 10, Harrison, 7, Malcolm, 5, Otis, 3, and 3-month-old Luella—who help with small jobs on the farm and are the greeters and errand runners during Sunday’s business hours. Suzanna is in training to help with milking the goats.
“We’re exceptionally grateful for where we’re at with the farm,” Scott says. “The goal was to provide for our family, producing the best food we could, and now we’re sharing what we feed our family with visitors to the farm. The local support has been the best part. I can’t believe how much support we’ve received.”
The Barrows mill their own flour from whole organic grains. They use eggs, milk and honey from the farm in their baking of sourdough breads, sourdough doughnuts and sourdough sweet potato cinnamon rolls, cookies, pies, biscuits, coffee cakes and pastries.
“Kelly makes the most amazing bread,” Scott says. Pasture-raised chicken, turkey and duck, and eggs from those birds are also available. The poultry are moved daily or every other day to fresh grass on a rotational grazing schedule.
“We’re both hard workers,” Scott says. “I love the work, I love the diversity of it.”
Kelly admits they started out with “scattershot projects to see what would stick.” They’ve discovered what is popular with the public and are now looking to expand their goat milk production, plant and grow berry bushes and grow vegetables in high-tunnel greenhouses in the near future.
“I tend to be the project person while Scott is very good at maintaining and doing the daily work at keep the project moving,” Kelly says. “We’re a good team.”
Scott gives Kelly credit for being a good carpenter. “She’s incredible at running a skill saw,” he says. The farm’s Facebook page details what will be available for sale each Sunday. The couple admits to staying up late on Saturday nights, baking and preparing products for their Sunday customers.
“Once we opened our farm up, we discovered a vibrant, friendly community here,” Kelly says. “Every Sunday is very fun at the farm.” Nick says the Barrows are an asset to the Fall River community. “They checked in on neighbors and delivered loaves of bread during the ice storm even though they had so much on their own plate,” he says. “They really are an amazing family.”
