Barns + Farms w/side of Cornbread

🎙️ Episode 12: Turning the Mic Around - Shayne Hollifield on Real Estate, Farms & Faith

In a “reverse podcast” episode of Barns and Farms with a Side of Cornbread, Shayne Hollifield is interviewed by longtime friend and branding/social media expert, Kristin Sargent. Shayne shares her background before real estate—court reporting, food service, and family life—and how those experiences taught her to read people, manage reactions, and build relationships. She describes years of “survival mode,” her faith-led decision to enter real estate at age 50, working as Mary Noble Braden’s assistant before licensing, and launching Noble & Company Realty as partners three weeks before COVID hit. Shayne explains her focus on land, farms, and legacy properties, emphasizing conservation, stewardship, and farmers’ voices as key motivations for her podcast. Community connections in Black Mountain and Lake Greenwood, the importance of relationships, and the role of local food and farming take the lead - Expect candid reflections, practical real estate insights, and a warm, southern perspective. She highlights meaningful episodes (including Harmony Mountain Equine's Pete Dillingham), values genuine social media, sets boundaries by not answering calls after 7 p.m., and shares personal priorities—God, family, building a new barn, and time at the lake.

🎙️ Episode 11: From Bakery to Barn: Stephanie’s Spice Holler Story

Porch Sitting with Stephanie of Spice Holler Farms: No-Till Soil, Peppers, and a Life Beyond the Bakery   Host Shayne Hollifield chats on the porch with Stephanie of Spice Holler Farms in Barnardsville about how gardening with her dad shaped her work ethic and love of land. Stephanie describes a varied path through animal science, environmental design, photography, and opening Sugar Bakery after a turbulent flight prompted her to pursue what she loved; she shares challenges of sourcing from farmers, keeping staff, and ultimately selling the bakery to an employee. After traveling in an Airstream, she and her husband settled on a field property in North Carolina and learned farming through trial and error, scaling back beds and using cover crops. She explains her no-till approach, soil health biology, using “weed tea,” and how plant health connects to human gut health and fiber.   They discuss peppers, cornbread preferences, starting small for new growers, using databases and ChatGPT to track crops and harvests, and her desire to share more and connect with restaurant owners.   You can reach Stephanie or just follow her journey at: IG: @spiceholler https://www.facebook.com/spiceholler [https://www.facebook.com/spiceholler] www.spiceholler.com [http://www.spiceholler.com]   Always remember to thank a farmer!   Show Notes: 00:00 Porch Sitdown Intro 00:31 Garden Roots With Dad 01:22 Finding Her Farm Path 02:13 Art Science And Curiosity 03:06 Hawaii Turbulence To Bakery 04:28 Sourcing Direct From Farmers 05:45 Bakery Reality And Staffing 08:02 Selling The Bakery 09:09 Airstream Life On The Road 11:20 Choosing North Carolina Land 12:07 Learning To Grow From Scratch 13:47 Profitability Food Security 15:01 Scaling Back With Cover Crops 16:42 Farming As A Research Project 17:57 Living on Family Land 18:18 Neighbor Steve and Farm Life 19:29 Why No Till Works 20:14 Soil Microbe Networks 22:14 Weeds as Soil Healers 23:35 Lessons From Farming 24:09 Gut Health and Fiber 24:49 Self Care and Simplicity 25:47 Meals and Cornbread Talk 27:08 Pepper Growing Obsession 28:28 Advice to Start Growing 29:19 Redefining a Rich Life 30:31 Garden Spaces and Repurposing 31:14 Field Office and Crop Planning 32:25 AI and Harvest Tracking 34:07 Closing Thanks and Next Steps

🎙️ Episode 10: Big Ivy Beef | Preserving Farmland One Ribeye at a Time

Shayne Hollifield sits down with Chris Dunbar, owner of Big Ivy Beef in Barnardsville, North Carolina to discuss how he preserved local farmland and built a regenerative beef operation while keeping family at the center of the business. They cover cattle breeds and finishing methods, animal welfare and sustainable practices, the local butcher shop and farmers market sales, and upcoming farm-to-table dinners and community events. Learn how important it is for farmers to steward the land in Western North Carolina as we see more and more farms disappear, and one family of farmers who plan to work this land the best way possible until it's someone else's turn.   You can find Big Ivy Beef at your local farmer's markets here in Western North Carolina (we're partial the The Black Mountain Tailgate where we met Chris's wife!)  "Honest meat, grown with respect for the animal, the land, and the people who do the work. At Big Ivy, you don’t have to wonder where your food came from—you can see the pasture, meet the farmer, and know exactly what you're bringing to the table."   Sign up for farm updates on their website: https://www.bigivybeef.com/ [https://www.bigivybeef.com/] and you can follow them on FB and IG @bigivybeef

🎙️ Episode 9: Mustangs & Warriors: Healing in the Saddle

Host Shayne Hollifield interviews Susan "Susie" Welch about her journey from the Marine Corps Lioness Teams to somatic equine healing. The episode explores combat experiences, motherhood, trauma held in the body, and how Mustangs Zion and Zephira helped Susie— and other veterans—rebuild trust, find rootedness, and create a veteran program focused on land stewardship and community. Personal stories, therapy alternatives, and a touch of Southern cornbread round out the conversation.

🎙️ Episode 8: Cowboys, Key Lime & Skillet Cornbread: Tales from Blue Heaven

Shayne Hollifield visits Blue Heaven in Key West where owner Richard shares the restaurant’s storied history, famous visitors, and family recipes. The episode highlights Hemingway-era lore, live-music memories with Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney, and beloved dishes like cast-iron cornbread, banana bread, and the legendary key lime pie.   Learn more about Blue Heaven or just head on down to Key West and visit yourself! 👉https://blueheavenkw.com/ [https://blueheavenkw.com/] Buy Kenny's book 👉 here: [https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Life-Music-Kenny-Chesney/dp/0063423103/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3I6KACE1Y8JVA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.kOOC0npRSexUOdcYdXuD5KLMUqj0TdTzDdBv5gmWgF3fUGgERL1JG177H7qZR7PNgRvG-9ZczQMPRnCvfEgZZlqFVLSywUziSq64faV--yr_TS-U12V0allvCoo2O2ZsHHj5vnzqS9iI9Os2_NkMzjQ_5Rd3ht7LBxgl_6eZSz2TzPHdHCgf4vmBln1w6F8M.RlL4jJXt0kk8YOSamp3cbMYWxWIqfALEmnzx7pgX91Y&dib_tag=se&keywords=kenny+chesney+book+2025&qid=1769893111&sprefix=kenny%2Caps%2C231&sr=8-1] And Jimmy Buffet's 👉 Blue Heaven Rendezvous [https://open.spotify.com/track/2fffqQ7c5o7Qh8EbfXsUIU?si=75de31a0042949cf] can be heard on Spotify!