July 3, 2024 • 29 mins
From cheese making to fermentation, Kristin Webber has the knowledge to help you get back to the basics. Julia sits down with Kristin to find out what homesteading is, how Kristin developed her love for it, and why Knoxville has embraced her business with open arms. Plus, we find out where Kristin’s pseudonym “Chicken Librarian” comes from and what her plans are for scaling her business over the next 5-10 years.
Links Referenced:
Kristin’s Website: https://chickenlibrarian.com/
Facebook: ChickenLibrarian
Instagram: @chickenlibrarian
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Julia Hurley (00:05):
Hey everybody, it is Julia Hurley and welcome to another
episode of Connect the Knox, connecting Knoxville to the nation.
So with me today is one of my all new favorite Knoxvillians.
I did not even know she existed.
I was very excited to find this as I was scrolling through Instagram one day.
I'm gonna use her name that's listed right
(00:27):
above here as you see, not her real name.
We're calling her Chicken Librarian because that is the name of her business.
And when I talk with her or about her to other people,
I literally say, you have to call Chicken Librarian.
We do not even call you Kristen.
Your name does not exist.
It is simply Chicken Librarian.
So welcome to the show, Miss Chicken Librarian.
(00:48):
I am So excited to have you here today.
Kristin Webber (00:50):
Well, thank you.
That is such a warm, warm welcome, and I
don't mind being called Chicken Librarian.
I get called Chicken Lady a lot, too.
Julia Hurley (01:03):
So for, I can guarantee you there are listeners Do not know who
you are or what you do and I am absolutely fascinated that you have brought
this to Knoxville and that it is available and affordable on top of that.
So it's one of the things I brag about the most is that
I found this organization online and could not wait to
get into a class and then couldn't get into a class.
(01:25):
You're booked out and finally got into a class.
Had an absolute blast.
I am going to pass this over to you to introduce yourself
and tell everybody exactly what it is that you do and why
you're doing it and how we ended up here in Knoxville.
Kristin Webber (01:38):
So, my name's Kristen and I own Chicken Librarian.
I teach traditional Southern Appalachian
heritage skills with modern conveniences.
So, basically, um, I started Homesteading.
Um, it's just a very fancy way of saying homesteading.
I started homesteading back in like 2008 2009 and fell in
(01:59):
love with it and there was this big huge movement in the
homesteading world and you had people like Ashley English.
Who is Small, um, I believe her Small Measure, and then you have,
um, Cold Antler Farm, and you have Jenny Scheller, Alicia Paulson.
These were some of the really big names in the homesteading, like,
making world, and I just thought, you know, how fascinating and how cool.
(02:23):
So, You know, I was a librarian at the time, so I
started kind of diving into all things homesteading.
My dad grew up on a, like, an 80 acre working farm, um, in Powell,
and, um, lived there the majority of his life, with the exception
of a few years, uh, But then he didn't want anything to do with it.
(02:43):
So like he said, you know, I don't want to be a farmer.
I don't want to do any of this stuff.
So I didn't grow up with any of that.
So I kind of taught myself.
And then I decided that I was kind of in between jobs
and I decided to start my business, Chicken Librarian.
And um, I was, I had chickens and I was a librarian.
So it just kind of, there's no, I wish there was like a
(03:05):
really cool something story behind it, but there's not.
I had chickens.
I was a librarian, not very creative, but, you know, I love roosters, um,
gosh, I could go down on so many tangents, but I could, I, I love roosters,
so I had a couple roosters for my first flock, and then, um, some hens, and
I just, I never had roosters after that, but I do enjoy roosters, and I do
(03:28):
enjoy chicken keeping, I enjoy all things homesteading, but, So then I had
some personal things going on in my life, and then I decided to um, leave.
I was in upstate New York for about 20 years, give or take a couple of
um, years back here in Tennessee, which is where I started homesteading.
And so I decided it was time to move back to Tennessee,
(03:48):
and I'm from Knoxville, so I moved to Knoxville.
in May of 2023 and then just kind of decided that um, I'm going to
bring my business, I kind of put my business on hold for a couple
of years and um, I just decided let's see what happens and boy
Knoxville has really opened its arms to this business that's for sure.
Julia Hurley (04:08):
So two things I want to point out to everybody
listening, because we have a lot of people, like I said,
connecting Knoxville to the nation, not the other way around.
So people leave me notes and comments all the time about our
accents, and one of the things is the guy that I had on before,
before we are talking with you today, is director of Knox YP, YP
Knox, and he is from another place, but has relocated here and
(04:29):
started the organization back, and his accent is so different.
So your family's from Powell, which we call Powell, right?
So Powell, it's P A L Powell, but it is spelled
P O W E L L, Powell, but we call it Powell.
Correct.
So anybody that's listening, Powell is North Knoxville.
So when someone says, what part of Knoxville do you want to live in?
Powell is Powell, Tennessee, and it is located directly next
(04:51):
to Halls, Tennessee, and whatever Halls has, they have it.
We're just not sure what it is.
All the things, all the things.
We're working on it.
We're working on it, and then Knoxville is Knoxville for all y'all out there.
All y'all out there listening, Knoxville.
And this is something that I say to everybody that
relocates, that we add a UL to everything we say.
Marvel, Knoxville, wherever you are.
(05:12):
So PAL in Knoxville is where you are.
And go into a little bit about, that's, an 80
acre farm is a lot to maintain, a lot to upkeep.
Moving away, coming back, making the decision to reopen a
business, it's Homesteading is kind of a very popular and
growing, uh, want and need for this younger Gen Z generation.
Genuinely, they are very interested in less is more attitude.
(05:36):
Tell us about the classes that you teach.
What are your most attended classes and how, what does that entail?
Kristin Webber (05:41):
So my most popular class is
mozzarella cheese making, um, which I believe you did.
Julia Hurley (05:47):
Super did.
I made the best cheese.
I made the best cheese.
It was delicious.
Everybody says so.
Kristin Webber (05:53):
I remember it.
You did a really good job.
So basically my class is kind of running a cycle.
Um, so there will be some classes that will be really, really
popular, but like cheesemaking, I won't do again until the fall.
Just to keep like, you know, the interest there, um,
and to keep like rotating through classes and stuff.
Because there's so many, there's a big variety that I teach
(06:16):
that I don't want to just focus on one thing right now.
Maybe down the line, who knows what will happen in the future.
So cheesemaking mozzarella, it's a 30 minute cheese.
Um, Ricky Carroll is the writer of that recipe.
She's cheesemaking.
com.
As you know, I think she's the guru for cheesemaking.
And I just teach people how to do this 30 minute, um, mozzarella that's
(06:36):
super easy and literally We'll take you 30 minutes in your house.
Now it takes us about an hour whenever we're out
and about because we're not in our own kitchens.
So I just basically take all my stuff to
whichever the venue, wherever the venue is.
And, um, you, I believe took it at High Wire Brewing
and, um, I offer it at Appalachian Arts Craft Center.
I've been at Iams.
(06:56):
I've been at the Knoxville Botanical Garden.
I mean, I've been like so many places.
Um, so my second most popular class, if memory serves me, is fermentation.
And that one I've done at Knoxville Arts Center.
I've done cheesemaking at Knoxville Arts Center.
Um, I also now do fermentation at the Butchery over
on Sutherland, um, which is Frog Juice Kombucha.
(07:17):
Um, and we do that one at Appalachian Arts Craft Center.
I do them all over the place, but those are my two really popular classes.
So basically what it is, is I just basically show up at the venue with all
the stuff that you need, and we take our time going through these classes.
And they basically give you everything you need to be successful
(07:38):
to go home and recreate that or continue experimenting because, you
know, things like fermentation, we start with like an apple scraps
vinegar, we do a sourdough starter sometimes, and then we do, yeah,
and then we do a, like, I've been doing fermented red cabbage.
That can change as it gets, um, as the seasons go on.
Julia Hurley (07:58):
Is that kimchi?
Are you making kimchi?
Kristin Webber (08:00):
We're not making kimchi.
Kimchi is a fermentation, but it's a little bit more of a process.
We're doing some really, so it's basics of fermentation.
So we're just doing, we're just kind of, uh, tipping
the scale at, um, with what we're doing in class.
So, basically the way my class is run.
is you do, um, there's demos where you watch me do that thing.
(08:21):
There's also the, uh, kind of the 101, if you will, where you get to do this
basic introductory thing, it's all hands on, and then there would be a 102,
a 103, a 104, so on and so forth, or a 201, 202, whatever that thing is.
So for example, I do canning, which is water bath canning, that's canning 101.
(08:41):
And then I do canning 102, which is a pressure canning.
And then, you know, you can dive into these, uh, topics a little deeper.
Um, I'm just scratching the surface right now.
So basically all I've really been offering
is 101 classes and then the canning 102.
So like, Kimchi would be like, You know, fermentation
101 or that kind of thing, but it's kind of the same.
(09:03):
You're, you're on the right train of thought there.
That's exactly what we're doing.
Julia Hurley (09:07):
Nice.
I love, I love the classes.
I honestly say I really enjoyed the cheese making class because we got beer.
I will tell you the, the soap class though
was still, it was my first class with you.
I made soap and for anybody out there that thinks
this stuff is just easy and she makes it easy.
I'm not gonna lie, you make it easy, but it's still not easy.
(09:28):
It is a very chemistry heavy conversation, very step by step,
very, uh, very involved on learning how to do these things.
And I have become, and I'll send you a picture of the canning, I
made peach jam and I spent, um, I probably spent 50 bucks on peaches.
I spent four hours peeling peaches.
(09:50):
I got a cramp in my hand.
That was super fun.
After it was all said and done with, I got all of 11
jars out of about three and a half to four hours of work.
And, and my husband laughed.
He said, well, we can eat for the winter now.
I mean, there's, there's no way.
These kinds of projects take serious dedication and time, and as we continue
to learn as a society, I think that we prefer to create things for ourselves.
(10:15):
Your classes are teaching us how to do that in two hours max, and that's with
the explanation and the enjoyment factor and the camaraderie and, and, and.
So as you continue to grow, are you going to, like, bring people
to your Farm is it gonna be, Hey, you've got to come to me.
I have too many people.
I can't, I can't do this.
(10:36):
You're gonna do private events.
Are you going to tell us more about your growth plan?
Kristin Webber (10:40):
Yes.
So right now I'm completely in person,
you know, like I'm not in Farragut at all.
And I know that there's a lot of people who are in
Farragut who would like to do this kind of stuff.
And that's way west for us, right?
So I need to, you know, so I'll always continue to kind
of expand and find new venues and that kind of thing.
So that would be one growth.
And second growth would be doing classes outside of Knoxville as well.
(11:03):
You know, I've I feel like this could grow and expand
outside, um, and it could be just a one time thing.
Like I'm at, I'm at the, uh, Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in
Townsend doing some canning coming up this month and in, in, in July.
But it's also, you know, expanding into those 102s and
202, 201 classes as well that we just talked about.
(11:25):
But I think that there is potential to do this online
and to offer kind of an on demand thing for people.
In terms of videos, I think there's also a way to
offer just like a little PDF for people to purchase.
You don't, you know, make it affordable for people.
Not everybody's going to be able to afford the videos.
Not everybody's going to be able to afford the in person classes, even though
(11:48):
you know, like you said, the classes are priced, I think, really reasonable.
But, you know, not everybody can afford that, and I get that.
But maybe they just want a little PDF to kind of We're going to do that too.
We meaning me.
I do like to always say we because like, you know,
one day there will be part, there will be a team.
And so, you know, I'm already got the we part of it, but we meaning me.
(12:09):
And then I think that there are, there's
opportunities to do private classes as well.
I've always done private classes and I also do consultations.
So for example, if somebody, um, wants to, or they have purchased
some property and they want to turn it into a homestead.
I can come out, walk the property with them.
I can look at their facilities.
(12:29):
I can, you know, maybe they don't have a barn or a chicken coop or whatever.
I can also walk the property and show them where the good, good
place to do the garden or the chickens, or maybe they already have
some livestock on the property and they're having some issues.
I can come out and walk the property and help them.
Kind of troubleshoot some of the things that
they're seeing on their property as well.
So there's, there's multifaceted to this, but I'm just, you know,
(12:52):
I kind of feel like moving back to Knoxville and bringing the
business and kind of recreating the business here in Knoxville.
I'm just getting started is how I look at it.
So, I'm, I'm looking forward to that growth too.
Julia Hurley (13:03):
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(13:25):
the expertise throughout every Knoxville surrounding area.
Thanks so much.
Call Just Homes Group today.
Did you take over your dad's 80 acres?
Kristin Webber (13:35):
No, so he, um, he only owns the last 10 acres of that.
I'm not doing anything there, but I think ultimately, you had
asked me about that and I forgot that part of it, ultimately
I would like to have my own homestead where people come to me.
Or in the meantime, um, and while I'm looking for that kind
(13:56):
of more permanent homestead, I think that maybe there's
a space to rent somewhere where it would just be mine.
Like that would be kind of part of that growth factor as well.
So, you know, and then people would come to me and I
would, I would have it all set up and you know, maybe
there's a little, I don't know, I pipe dream all the time.
There's a little store attached to it and you know, whatever.
So I don't know.
(14:16):
There's, the possibilities are endless.
Julia Hurley (14:18):
The possibilities in the Knoxville market right now are endless.
People are very up on moving here and getting settled here.
Everyone I talk with wants some land.
They want some kind of freedom.
So, you know, Knoxville has not necessarily been the most farm
friendly, when I mean farm friendly meaning one person farms.
I mean, we have a ton of farmland here and a lot of people farm their land.
(14:40):
But as far as being able to understand in a simple form in an hour or
less how to grow anything or make anything for yourself that's not been
very friendly, and all of a sudden this has become a very popular event
venue, a very popular thing to do, and when people see that it's really not
that hard, it's not that time consuming, Where do you see the trajectory
(15:02):
of this conversation going, not just for Knoxville, but everywhere?
Kristin Webber (15:05):
So I, I can talk about upstate New York a lot because I live
two hours from New York City and I could, they're the same where people are
just, there's this big influx of people leaving the urban areas and coming to
the, you know, more rural areas and they want to know how to do this stuff.
And I think for me, it's just getting my name out and
(15:26):
just showing people that I, I, I'm You know this of me, I
say, I want to make this as easy as possible for people.
I want people to get their hands dirty.
And I don't care if it's just one thing that you change.
Like if it's just the mozzarella cheese that you make from, you come to the
class, you take the cheese class and you say, this is good enough for me.
I'm happy with that.
(15:46):
Um, but I would like to, you know.
And I'm going to just expand this and you know,
just really help people get back to the basics.
People are really, I mean, this has been a huge,
and I think COVID had a lot to do with this.
Um, bringing it to the forefront of people,
you know, there was the big sourdough starter.
There was a lot of people who were gardening
and chicken keeping and things like that.
(16:07):
But.
You know, I really am in tune with, I will teach you the proper way to do things
and then I will tell you how to take shortcuts in order to get, to get it done.
Uh, because most of us are still working, right?
We all have our nine to five gigs and we're still trying to raise
our families and have our social lives and do all the things,
(16:27):
um, but also still try to get back to basics as much as we can.
And that's kind of my goal is to help people figure
out how to do that in a really simplified, easy way.
Julia Hurley (16:37):
Yeah.
I have found that it, you know, all the things that we
try to learn in our lifetime, all the things that we try
to, to take advantage of, take, everything takes time.
It genuinely just takes time.
And I would say in the course of my lifetime, I've probably killed 35
chickens, couldn't figure out how to raise them right, or the blizzard of 93.
If anybody remembers that, six chickens died.
(16:59):
Uh, so chickens are out for me.
Can't do the chicken thing.
Never understood the chickens.
Couldn't get them fed properly.
Couldn't get them off the ground properly.
Really could not figure this out.
And it, it, it becomes a situation where you're like,
Well, maybe I'll never be able to survive on my own.
And then COVID happened, and then we all think, Oh my God,
we're going to have to learn how to survive on our own.
And as society has continued to bring to light, you know, Monsanto and
(17:24):
all the things that we are eating and putting into our bodies, and we
feel bad, and our mental health is bad, and we're talking more freely
about how, how we genuinely feel as a society, things are changing.
Figuring these things out is so much more relevant.
So much more relevant.
And if things go the way that people want them to go, and we
do somehow magically over the next decade or 25 years, Take any
(17:48):
preservatives out of our foods and go back to natural foods, much
like a lot of other countries have done in the, in the, in the world.
We will need to know how to do this.
Preserving your food is extremely important.
Preserving anything is very important.
It is gone in 24 hours or less otherwise.
And you bring that to the table.
So the growth plan is an eventual homestead for yourself.
(18:10):
People come to you in a business with it.
Totally get that.
I love it.
Kind of like the Appalachian Museum, right?
So I think that's a huge undertaking.
That family has been working on that for two generations and
they've finally gotten it to the point where it's profitable
and popular, which is taking advantage of the market.
Of what's going on right now.
In the grand scheme of things, how many people can you truly
bring through a program like this where you maybe get them to
(18:32):
like the 401s and, and truly cut them loose and say, listen,
you've got a tiny home, it's got its own compost waste department.
You've got your own rainwater gathering.
You are off the grid.
You've graduated, you're off grid.
Kristin Webber (18:45):
I personally think there's no end to it.
I mean, I don't, because it's not just in Knoxville, right?
So it's all over.
I mean, it's all over, it's everywhere.
And if you go onto like social media, you'll see some really big accounts
that are Homestead based and they're teaching people how to do stuff.
They're not, going out and helping them.
(19:06):
They're just doing it via video, right?
And it's not a one on one thing.
And I think there's something to be said.
I think there's, I think there's kind of like you
have, would be like two kind of different viewpoints.
One is the people who I just want to watch YouTube.
I want to go on social media.
I want to learn myself.
Great.
You know, I'm going to have the resources for those people too.
I'm going to have, you know, the PDFs, I'm going to
(19:28):
have some little, you know, What are they called?
Shorts on YouTube or Reels on Instagram or whatever.
So you've got like those, the, the people who don't necessarily
want to come to a class or whatever, but then you also have
the people who really, truly, I get a lot of repeat customers.
I'll be honest.
I get a lot of new people, but I get a lot of repeat customers as well.
(19:52):
And, um, this is new to me.
Like whenever I was in upstate New York,
I didn't necessarily get repeat customers.
As much as I do here in Knoxville.
So I think that there will be really no end to what the
growth that, you know, getting people to go through from
basics to graduating, like you said, to having whatever it is.
(20:15):
And it doesn't have to be necessarily, you know, the
whole off grid, you know, solar powered, whatever.
It could literally just be One thing, like
I said, I want to learn how to garden.
And then with that, how do I preserve that garden?
So we're going to freeze.
We're going to dehydrate.
We're going to can.
We're going to do those kinds of things.
And we're going to start our seeds.
We're going to save our seeds.
(20:35):
And so now we have become self sufficient in a way that
we're not necessarily relying on our grocery stores anymore.
And we're not, you know, we're, or the other thing I really want people
to understand is, especially in Knoxville and in more like the, the
larger, um, areas, Knoxville, I'm thinking like Knoxville, Chattanooga,
(20:56):
you know, Greenville, Johnson City, the areas that have the farm markets.
Let's rely on our, in really a local economy, um, let's rely more on
our local small businesses, um, before we go to the bigger box stores.
There's a, there's a place obviously for box stores.
I don't think we're ever going to get away from that,
(21:17):
but let's start to kind of rethink what we're doing, and
how we're shopping, and where we're spending our money.
Julia Hurley (21:23):
Sure, I think that's a great idea.
I can't live without Costco.
I literally, I literally can't live without Costco.
The amount of food that I eat that's fresh food,
there's no way I could grow that for myself.
There's absolutely no way.
Capability of me growing 13 pounds of blueberries.
You know, we go through blueberries by massive quantities a day in this house.
(21:43):
So there's no way for me to do that without tons of acreage and
thousands of employees working a true farm just to feed our family.
That would be impossible.
But we also do make the effort very much to shop at all the
farmers markets and make sure that we buy all of our vegetables
from the people who are, the Oak Ridge Farmers Market's huge.
We love the Oak Ridge Farmers Market.
It is massive.
It's one of the biggest ones.
(22:04):
I think in the area as far as being able to literally go and shop a whole meal.
You can go and get bread, vegetables, meat, eggs, cheeses, spreads, whatever.
You can do a whole meal at the Oak Ridge Farmer's Market,
which is almost impossible to say about a farmer's market.
A lot of people just bring whatever's in season and
it's a lot of the same people bringing the same thing.
(22:26):
And Oak Ridge has all of the different things.
So, huge, huge event, uh, every weekend.
And, uh, we love that.
And we go because it's, one, fresh food, and two, because you need to get to
know the people that are going to make the food, just in case you need them.
You may need those people, you don't know.
Kristin Webber (22:44):
Exactly.
And I think that that's, that's kind of like the point to hit on is that.
I do think that just starting to reframe that mindset of instead of heading
straight to the big box store, like even for gift giving, let's, let's
not talk about food even, let's, let's kind of back it up a little bit.
Gift giving, you know, we have so many small local businesses
(23:07):
Who have really made a name for themselves in Knoxville and
kind of nationally too and internationally, you know, so
let's shop and support those makers and those artists as well.
And then we can go like, you know, fill in
elsewhere or whatever, you know, I don't know.
I just think local, local economy, local community, local, you
know, businesses has always been kind of an important thing.
(23:29):
for me and kind of like goes hand in hand with
the whole homesteading and getting back to basics.
And, and, you know, like I, my problem is,
is that I'm always like, I can make that.
And, you know, sometimes I'll be like, I, I can make that.
And I know I can make that, but sometimes it comes down to the timing, right?
Can you really, can you really make that, you
know, can you make all those gifts, you know?
So anyway, it's like support the local economy, support
(23:49):
your local businesses, go shop the farm markets and
then go fill in at the other, you know, you're still.
Supporting your local community.
Julia Hurley (24:01):
Have you considered reaching out over at the
Knox Ag School to see if you could put together a program?
Kristin Webber (24:07):
I am thinking if I talk to them or not.
I have not talked to them actually.
Reach out to Keith Carver and
Julia Hurley (24:14):
I'll make sure to make that,
like I'm connecting every, connect the Knox.
Keith Carver was on our podcast to talk about the growth of the Ag Department
at the University of Tennessee and they are growing leaps and bounds.
I mean this man is.
Genuinely so involved, and I mean, that leadership in general at
UT has changed completely into a positive, but Keith Carver is, Dr.
(24:36):
Keith Carver, who is over the ag department at the moment, is
really and truly bringing in new thought processes, new education
programs, and making sure that we are focused back on ag.
As the state of Tennessee, you know, our commerce,
ag, and it's kind of part of our state motto.
So agriculture's literally in our state motto and state symbol.
We need to make sure that we protect that.
(24:57):
And I feel like you're doing that for Knoxville.
I feel like you're really moving forward on something
that a lot of areas could take advantage of.
And you've brought that here.
It's enjoyable, it's simple, and it's affordable.
And it's something that I think people should know is available to them.
People are always like, what do I do on a weekend?
There's nothing to do.
It's raining.
Can't go to the mountains.
Can't do a hike.
There is something that Chicken Librarian has for you, I promise.
(25:18):
Just look it up on a weekend.
Uh, we have very limited time.
I have loved speaking with you.
I love spending time with you.
I appreciate you.
Tell everyone that's listening how they can find you and where
they can subscribe to your newsletter and schedule events.
Kristin Webber (25:31):
Sure.
And I really appreciate you.
I have, I said this, um, to you before that you are really all things Knoxville.
You are just like really bringing it all together.
And I appreciate you having me on here.
So again, I'm Kristen.
I own Chicken Librarian.
Um, I have a website chickenlibrarian.
com.
You can sign up for my newsletter through that.
You can also email me through that.
(25:53):
I have a contact page, but I also have
Facebook and I have Instagram chickenlibrarian.
com.
And my events, I have an events page, um, I have a Google calendar on my
website so people can go straight to my, um, website, click on 2024 events,
and you can see it, I just updated June's, I've got about 8 more events this
month, so there's still plenty of time and opportunities to catch me somewhere.
(26:16):
I love it,
Julia Hurley (26:16):
I love it.
Okay, we have 3 minutes, and here's gonna be the fun part.
We're going fire round.
Favorite restaurant.
Kristin Webber (26:22):
Oh, why, why are we doing fire rounds?
Uh, favorite restaurant.
You know what?
I love Aubrey's.
Oh, I love Aubrey.
Yes.
I love Aubrey's.
Aubrey is, honestly,
Julia Hurley (26:32):
we lost our Aubrey's here in Littler City.
Uh, the hospital in Littler City needed the building.
They were leasing from them, so they have taken their
building back and they've purchased a property, but it
will be nine to 12 months before they rebuild the Aubrey.
So here in Lenoir City, we're out in Aubrey's.
It is, it is very sad.
We, we, we have to drive to Bearable or Farragut, uh, or no, Farragut
(26:52):
doesn't have one anymore either, so we're going all the way to Cedar Bluff.
Kristin Webber (26:54):
Oh, see, I do the one in Powell.
Julia Hurley (26:56):
Yep, and I'm telling you, it is, you cannot beat Aubrey's.
Yes.
Fresh food, that place is fantastic.
Whoo, girl, you got me craving an Aubrey's salad now.
Kristin Webber (27:05):
Yeah, I like their tuna.
They have a really, what is it, the tuna sandwich?
Oh,
Julia Hurley (27:11):
their fried catfish is also delicious.
Kristin Webber (27:12):
Yes.
Yes.
We can just name the whole menu.
And
Julia Hurley (27:16):
the things that are no longer on the menu, they will still make.
Totally fine.
Oh, I didn't know
Kristin Webber (27:20):
that.
Um, you know what?
I'm not much of a drinker, so I don't go out very often.
Where was I recently?
Um, what's the, oh my gosh, totally forgot the name of it.
It's over on Broadway in like Central.
Julia Hurley (27:35):
Central Flats and Taps?
Kristin Webber (27:37):
No, it was the brewery.
Oh my gosh, now I'm going to have to look it up.
Oh, see, you should have warned me about this.
Oh my gosh, I'm going to use my three.
Julia Hurley (27:43):
This is why we have to get, we have got to
get actual genuine like round, like go go's, you know?
Kristin Webber (27:48):
It's not Albright, it's not, um, okay, we'll come back.
What's the next question?
Favorite gas
Julia Hurley (27:53):
station.
Everybody has one.
Everybody has a favorite gas station.
I like, if I can make it, if I can make it,
I like the Casey's off of Campbell Station.
It's, as soon as I get off the interstate, I go in, I get out, I keep going.
I am very, I'm very on that side of the road, so that's the one that I like.
And then if I'm coming the other way, it's Weigels on Campbell Station.
Kristin Webber (28:16):
I like a good Weigels, though.
There's, you know, I don't have a, I don't have a favorite
Weigels, although the one I, that pops into my head
first thing is the one on Emory and Dry Gap out near me.
Julia Hurley (28:28):
Oh yeah, so everybody has a favorite
specific location of their favorite gas station.
It is an odd question to ask, but people love it.
Favorite sandwich shop?
Kristin Webber (28:36):
Oh, Steamboat, Steamboat, Steamboat, Steamboat.
Yep, love them.
Yeah,
Julia Hurley (28:40):
right on that strip in Powell.
Yes, yes, yes.
Kristin Webber (28:43):
I
Julia Hurley (28:43):
know where you are.
Kristin Webber (28:44):
I see you.
I don't, I don't get out very often.
Julia Hurley (28:48):
That's okay, I know.
So, listen.
It's been 30 minutes.
I appreciate your time.
I've very much enjoyed seeing your face and how amazing you are and how
positive you are for the growth of Knoxville and the homesteading community.
We appreciate everything you do.
Thank you so much for listening in to another episode of Connect the Knox.
I'm Julia Hurley connecting Knoxville to the nation.
(29:08):
Until next time.
Thank you for tuning into the show.
Make sure to like and subscribe.
Leave a podcast player of choice.
And if you would like information on moving
to Knoxville, send me a private message.
As always, this is Julia Hurley connecting Knoxville to the nation.
Hey everybody, it is Julia Hurley and welcome to another
episode of Connect the Knox, connecting Knoxville to the nation.
So with me today is one of my all new favorite Knoxvillians.
I did not even know she existed.
I was very excited to find this as I was scrolling through Instagram one day.
I'm gonna use her name that's listed right
(00:27):
above here as you see, not her real name.
We're calling her Chicken Librarian because that is the name of her business.
And when I talk with her or about her to other people,
I literally say, you have to call Chicken Librarian.
We do not even call you Kristen.
Your name does not exist.
It is simply Chicken Librarian.
So welcome to the show, Miss Chicken Librarian.
(00:48):
I am So excited to have you here today.
Kristin Webber (00:50):
Well, thank you.
That is such a warm, warm welcome, and I
don't mind being called Chicken Librarian.
I get called Chicken Lady a lot, too.
Julia Hurley (01:03):
So for, I can guarantee you there are listeners Do not know who
you are or what you do and I am absolutely fascinated that you have brought
this to Knoxville and that it is available and affordable on top of that.
So it's one of the things I brag about the most is that
I found this organization online and could not wait to
get into a class and then couldn't get into a class.
(01:25):
You're booked out and finally got into a class.
Had an absolute blast.
I am going to pass this over to you to introduce yourself
and tell everybody exactly what it is that you do and why
you're doing it and how we ended up here in Knoxville.
Kristin Webber (01:38):
So, my name's Kristen and I own Chicken Librarian.
I teach traditional Southern Appalachian
heritage skills with modern conveniences.
So, basically, um, I started Homesteading.
Um, it's just a very fancy way of saying homesteading.
I started homesteading back in like 2008 2009 and fell in
(01:59):
love with it and there was this big huge movement in the
homesteading world and you had people like Ashley English.
Who is Small, um, I believe her Small Measure, and then you have,
um, Cold Antler Farm, and you have Jenny Scheller, Alicia Paulson.
These were some of the really big names in the homesteading, like,
making world, and I just thought, you know, how fascinating and how cool.
(02:23):
So, You know, I was a librarian at the time, so I
started kind of diving into all things homesteading.
My dad grew up on a, like, an 80 acre working farm, um, in Powell,
and, um, lived there the majority of his life, with the exception
of a few years, uh, But then he didn't want anything to do with it.
(02:43):
So like he said, you know, I don't want to be a farmer.
I don't want to do any of this stuff.
So I didn't grow up with any of that.
So I kind of taught myself.
And then I decided that I was kind of in between jobs
and I decided to start my business, Chicken Librarian.
And um, I was, I had chickens and I was a librarian.
So it just kind of, there's no, I wish there was like a
(03:05):
really cool something story behind it, but there's not.
I had chickens.
I was a librarian, not very creative, but, you know, I love roosters, um,
gosh, I could go down on so many tangents, but I could, I, I love roosters,
so I had a couple roosters for my first flock, and then, um, some hens, and
I just, I never had roosters after that, but I do enjoy roosters, and I do
(03:28):
enjoy chicken keeping, I enjoy all things homesteading, but, So then I had
some personal things going on in my life, and then I decided to um, leave.
I was in upstate New York for about 20 years, give or take a couple of
um, years back here in Tennessee, which is where I started homesteading.
And so I decided it was time to move back to Tennessee,
(03:48):
and I'm from Knoxville, so I moved to Knoxville.
in May of 2023 and then just kind of decided that um, I'm going to
bring my business, I kind of put my business on hold for a couple
of years and um, I just decided let's see what happens and boy
Knoxville has really opened its arms to this business that's for sure.
Julia Hurley (04:08):
So two things I want to point out to everybody
listening, because we have a lot of people, like I said,
connecting Knoxville to the nation, not the other way around.
So people leave me notes and comments all the time about our
accents, and one of the things is the guy that I had on before,
before we are talking with you today, is director of Knox YP, YP
Knox, and he is from another place, but has relocated here and
(04:29):
started the organization back, and his accent is so different.
So your family's from Powell, which we call Powell, right?
So Powell, it's P A L Powell, but it is spelled
P O W E L L, Powell, but we call it Powell.
Correct.
So anybody that's listening, Powell is North Knoxville.
So when someone says, what part of Knoxville do you want to live in?
Powell is Powell, Tennessee, and it is located directly next
(04:51):
to Halls, Tennessee, and whatever Halls has, they have it.
We're just not sure what it is.
All the things, all the things.
We're working on it.
We're working on it, and then Knoxville is Knoxville for all y'all out there.
All y'all out there listening, Knoxville.
And this is something that I say to everybody that
relocates, that we add a UL to everything we say.
Marvel, Knoxville, wherever you are.
(05:12):
So PAL in Knoxville is where you are.
And go into a little bit about, that's, an 80
acre farm is a lot to maintain, a lot to upkeep.
Moving away, coming back, making the decision to reopen a
business, it's Homesteading is kind of a very popular and
growing, uh, want and need for this younger Gen Z generation.
Genuinely, they are very interested in less is more attitude.
(05:36):
Tell us about the classes that you teach.
What are your most attended classes and how, what does that entail?
Kristin Webber (05:41):
So my most popular class is
mozzarella cheese making, um, which I believe you did.
Julia Hurley (05:47):
Super did.
I made the best cheese.
I made the best cheese.
It was delicious.
Everybody says so.
Kristin Webber (05:53):
I remember it.
You did a really good job.
So basically my class is kind of running a cycle.
Um, so there will be some classes that will be really, really
popular, but like cheesemaking, I won't do again until the fall.
Just to keep like, you know, the interest there, um,
and to keep like rotating through classes and stuff.
Because there's so many, there's a big variety that I teach
(06:16):
that I don't want to just focus on one thing right now.
Maybe down the line, who knows what will happen in the future.
So cheesemaking mozzarella, it's a 30 minute cheese.
Um, Ricky Carroll is the writer of that recipe.
She's cheesemaking.
com.
As you know, I think she's the guru for cheesemaking.
And I just teach people how to do this 30 minute, um, mozzarella that's
(06:36):
super easy and literally We'll take you 30 minutes in your house.
Now it takes us about an hour whenever we're out
and about because we're not in our own kitchens.
So I just basically take all my stuff to
whichever the venue, wherever the venue is.
And, um, you, I believe took it at High Wire Brewing
and, um, I offer it at Appalachian Arts Craft Center.
I've been at Iams.
(06:56):
I've been at the Knoxville Botanical Garden.
I mean, I've been like so many places.
Um, so my second most popular class, if memory serves me, is fermentation.
And that one I've done at Knoxville Arts Center.
I've done cheesemaking at Knoxville Arts Center.
Um, I also now do fermentation at the Butchery over
on Sutherland, um, which is Frog Juice Kombucha.
(07:17):
Um, and we do that one at Appalachian Arts Craft Center.
I do them all over the place, but those are my two really popular classes.
So basically what it is, is I just basically show up at the venue with all
the stuff that you need, and we take our time going through these classes.
And they basically give you everything you need to be successful
(07:38):
to go home and recreate that or continue experimenting because, you
know, things like fermentation, we start with like an apple scraps
vinegar, we do a sourdough starter sometimes, and then we do, yeah,
and then we do a, like, I've been doing fermented red cabbage.
That can change as it gets, um, as the seasons go on.
Julia Hurley (07:58):
Is that kimchi?
Are you making kimchi?
Kristin Webber (08:00):
We're not making kimchi.
Kimchi is a fermentation, but it's a little bit more of a process.
We're doing some really, so it's basics of fermentation.
So we're just doing, we're just kind of, uh, tipping
the scale at, um, with what we're doing in class.
So, basically the way my class is run.
is you do, um, there's demos where you watch me do that thing.
(08:21):
There's also the, uh, kind of the 101, if you will, where you get to do this
basic introductory thing, it's all hands on, and then there would be a 102,
a 103, a 104, so on and so forth, or a 201, 202, whatever that thing is.
So for example, I do canning, which is water bath canning, that's canning 101.
(08:41):
And then I do canning 102, which is a pressure canning.
And then, you know, you can dive into these, uh, topics a little deeper.
Um, I'm just scratching the surface right now.
So basically all I've really been offering
is 101 classes and then the canning 102.
So like, Kimchi would be like, You know, fermentation
101 or that kind of thing, but it's kind of the same.
(09:03):
You're, you're on the right train of thought there.
That's exactly what we're doing.
Julia Hurley (09:07):
Nice.
I love, I love the classes.
I honestly say I really enjoyed the cheese making class because we got beer.
I will tell you the, the soap class though
was still, it was my first class with you.
I made soap and for anybody out there that thinks
this stuff is just easy and she makes it easy.
I'm not gonna lie, you make it easy, but it's still not easy.
(09:28):
It is a very chemistry heavy conversation, very step by step,
very, uh, very involved on learning how to do these things.
And I have become, and I'll send you a picture of the canning, I
made peach jam and I spent, um, I probably spent 50 bucks on peaches.
I spent four hours peeling peaches.
(09:50):
I got a cramp in my hand.
That was super fun.
After it was all said and done with, I got all of 11
jars out of about three and a half to four hours of work.
And, and my husband laughed.
He said, well, we can eat for the winter now.
I mean, there's, there's no way.
These kinds of projects take serious dedication and time, and as we continue
to learn as a society, I think that we prefer to create things for ourselves.
(10:15):
Your classes are teaching us how to do that in two hours max, and that's with
the explanation and the enjoyment factor and the camaraderie and, and, and.
So as you continue to grow, are you going to, like, bring people
to your Farm is it gonna be, Hey, you've got to come to me.
I have too many people.
I can't, I can't do this.
(10:36):
You're gonna do private events.
Are you going to tell us more about your growth plan?
Kristin Webber (10:40):
Yes.
So right now I'm completely in person,
you know, like I'm not in Farragut at all.
And I know that there's a lot of people who are in
Farragut who would like to do this kind of stuff.
And that's way west for us, right?
So I need to, you know, so I'll always continue to kind
of expand and find new venues and that kind of thing.
So that would be one growth.
And second growth would be doing classes outside of Knoxville as well.
(11:03):
You know, I've I feel like this could grow and expand
outside, um, and it could be just a one time thing.
Like I'm at, I'm at the, uh, Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center in
Townsend doing some canning coming up this month and in, in, in July.
But it's also, you know, expanding into those 102s and
202, 201 classes as well that we just talked about.
(11:25):
But I think that there is potential to do this online
and to offer kind of an on demand thing for people.
In terms of videos, I think there's also a way to
offer just like a little PDF for people to purchase.
You don't, you know, make it affordable for people.
Not everybody's going to be able to afford the videos.
Not everybody's going to be able to afford the in person classes, even though
(11:48):
you know, like you said, the classes are priced, I think, really reasonable.
But, you know, not everybody can afford that, and I get that.
But maybe they just want a little PDF to kind of We're going to do that too.
We meaning me.
I do like to always say we because like, you know,
one day there will be part, there will be a team.
And so, you know, I'm already got the we part of it, but we meaning me.
(12:09):
And then I think that there are, there's
opportunities to do private classes as well.
I've always done private classes and I also do consultations.
So for example, if somebody, um, wants to, or they have purchased
some property and they want to turn it into a homestead.
I can come out, walk the property with them.
I can look at their facilities.
(12:29):
I can, you know, maybe they don't have a barn or a chicken coop or whatever.
I can also walk the property and show them where the good, good
place to do the garden or the chickens, or maybe they already have
some livestock on the property and they're having some issues.
I can come out and walk the property and help them.
Kind of troubleshoot some of the things that
they're seeing on their property as well.
So there's, there's multifaceted to this, but I'm just, you know,
(12:52):
I kind of feel like moving back to Knoxville and bringing the
business and kind of recreating the business here in Knoxville.
I'm just getting started is how I look at it.
So, I'm, I'm looking forward to that growth too.
Julia Hurley (13:03):
We all know that real estate is location, location, location.
Our team at Just Homes Group has the true expertise,
pairing buyers and sellers with the right opportunities.
Whether you're looking to buy or sell a home right here
in Knoxville, Lenore City, Clinton, or Farragut, we have
(13:25):
the expertise throughout every Knoxville surrounding area.
Thanks so much.
Call Just Homes Group today.
Did you take over your dad's 80 acres?
Kristin Webber (13:35):
No, so he, um, he only owns the last 10 acres of that.
I'm not doing anything there, but I think ultimately, you had
asked me about that and I forgot that part of it, ultimately
I would like to have my own homestead where people come to me.
Or in the meantime, um, and while I'm looking for that kind
(13:56):
of more permanent homestead, I think that maybe there's
a space to rent somewhere where it would just be mine.
Like that would be kind of part of that growth factor as well.
So, you know, and then people would come to me and I
would, I would have it all set up and you know, maybe
there's a little, I don't know, I pipe dream all the time.
There's a little store attached to it and you know, whatever.
So I don't know.
(14:16):
There's, the possibilities are endless.
Julia Hurley (14:18):
The possibilities in the Knoxville market right now are endless.
People are very up on moving here and getting settled here.
Everyone I talk with wants some land.
They want some kind of freedom.
So, you know, Knoxville has not necessarily been the most farm
friendly, when I mean farm friendly meaning one person farms.
I mean, we have a ton of farmland here and a lot of people farm their land.
(14:40):
But as far as being able to understand in a simple form in an hour or
less how to grow anything or make anything for yourself that's not been
very friendly, and all of a sudden this has become a very popular event
venue, a very popular thing to do, and when people see that it's really not
that hard, it's not that time consuming, Where do you see the trajectory
(15:02):
of this conversation going, not just for Knoxville, but everywhere?
Kristin Webber (15:05):
So I, I can talk about upstate New York a lot because I live
two hours from New York City and I could, they're the same where people are
just, there's this big influx of people leaving the urban areas and coming to
the, you know, more rural areas and they want to know how to do this stuff.
And I think for me, it's just getting my name out and
(15:26):
just showing people that I, I, I'm You know this of me, I
say, I want to make this as easy as possible for people.
I want people to get their hands dirty.
And I don't care if it's just one thing that you change.
Like if it's just the mozzarella cheese that you make from, you come to the
class, you take the cheese class and you say, this is good enough for me.
I'm happy with that.
(15:46):
Um, but I would like to, you know.
And I'm going to just expand this and you know,
just really help people get back to the basics.
People are really, I mean, this has been a huge,
and I think COVID had a lot to do with this.
Um, bringing it to the forefront of people,
you know, there was the big sourdough starter.
There was a lot of people who were gardening
and chicken keeping and things like that.
(16:07):
But.
You know, I really am in tune with, I will teach you the proper way to do things
and then I will tell you how to take shortcuts in order to get, to get it done.
Uh, because most of us are still working, right?
We all have our nine to five gigs and we're still trying to raise
our families and have our social lives and do all the things,
(16:27):
um, but also still try to get back to basics as much as we can.
And that's kind of my goal is to help people figure
out how to do that in a really simplified, easy way.
Julia Hurley (16:37):
Yeah.
I have found that it, you know, all the things that we
try to learn in our lifetime, all the things that we try
to, to take advantage of, take, everything takes time.
It genuinely just takes time.
And I would say in the course of my lifetime, I've probably killed 35
chickens, couldn't figure out how to raise them right, or the blizzard of 93.
If anybody remembers that, six chickens died.
(16:59):
Uh, so chickens are out for me.
Can't do the chicken thing.
Never understood the chickens.
Couldn't get them fed properly.
Couldn't get them off the ground properly.
Really could not figure this out.
And it, it, it becomes a situation where you're like,
Well, maybe I'll never be able to survive on my own.
And then COVID happened, and then we all think, Oh my God,
we're going to have to learn how to survive on our own.
And as society has continued to bring to light, you know, Monsanto and
(17:24):
all the things that we are eating and putting into our bodies, and we
feel bad, and our mental health is bad, and we're talking more freely
about how, how we genuinely feel as a society, things are changing.
Figuring these things out is so much more relevant.
So much more relevant.
And if things go the way that people want them to go, and we
do somehow magically over the next decade or 25 years, Take any
(17:48):
preservatives out of our foods and go back to natural foods, much
like a lot of other countries have done in the, in the, in the world.
We will need to know how to do this.
Preserving your food is extremely important.
Preserving anything is very important.
It is gone in 24 hours or less otherwise.
And you bring that to the table.
So the growth plan is an eventual homestead for yourself.
(18:10):
People come to you in a business with it.
Totally get that.
I love it.
Kind of like the Appalachian Museum, right?
So I think that's a huge undertaking.
That family has been working on that for two generations and
they've finally gotten it to the point where it's profitable
and popular, which is taking advantage of the market.
Of what's going on right now.
In the grand scheme of things, how many people can you truly
bring through a program like this where you maybe get them to
(18:32):
like the 401s and, and truly cut them loose and say, listen,
you've got a tiny home, it's got its own compost waste department.
You've got your own rainwater gathering.
You are off the grid.
You've graduated, you're off grid.
Kristin Webber (18:45):
I personally think there's no end to it.
I mean, I don't, because it's not just in Knoxville, right?
So it's all over.
I mean, it's all over, it's everywhere.
And if you go onto like social media, you'll see some really big accounts
that are Homestead based and they're teaching people how to do stuff.
They're not, going out and helping them.
(19:06):
They're just doing it via video, right?
And it's not a one on one thing.
And I think there's something to be said.
I think there's, I think there's kind of like you
have, would be like two kind of different viewpoints.
One is the people who I just want to watch YouTube.
I want to go on social media.
I want to learn myself.
Great.
You know, I'm going to have the resources for those people too.
I'm going to have, you know, the PDFs, I'm going to
(19:28):
have some little, you know, What are they called?
Shorts on YouTube or Reels on Instagram or whatever.
So you've got like those, the, the people who don't necessarily
want to come to a class or whatever, but then you also have
the people who really, truly, I get a lot of repeat customers.
I'll be honest.
I get a lot of new people, but I get a lot of repeat customers as well.
(19:52):
And, um, this is new to me.
Like whenever I was in upstate New York,
I didn't necessarily get repeat customers.
As much as I do here in Knoxville.
So I think that there will be really no end to what the
growth that, you know, getting people to go through from
basics to graduating, like you said, to having whatever it is.
(20:15):
And it doesn't have to be necessarily, you know, the
whole off grid, you know, solar powered, whatever.
It could literally just be One thing, like
I said, I want to learn how to garden.
And then with that, how do I preserve that garden?
So we're going to freeze.
We're going to dehydrate.
We're going to can.
We're going to do those kinds of things.
And we're going to start our seeds.
We're going to save our seeds.
(20:35):
And so now we have become self sufficient in a way that
we're not necessarily relying on our grocery stores anymore.
And we're not, you know, we're, or the other thing I really want people
to understand is, especially in Knoxville and in more like the, the
larger, um, areas, Knoxville, I'm thinking like Knoxville, Chattanooga,
(20:56):
you know, Greenville, Johnson City, the areas that have the farm markets.
Let's rely on our, in really a local economy, um, let's rely more on
our local small businesses, um, before we go to the bigger box stores.
There's a, there's a place obviously for box stores.
I don't think we're ever going to get away from that,
(21:17):
but let's start to kind of rethink what we're doing, and
how we're shopping, and where we're spending our money.
Julia Hurley (21:23):
Sure, I think that's a great idea.
I can't live without Costco.
I literally, I literally can't live without Costco.
The amount of food that I eat that's fresh food,
there's no way I could grow that for myself.
There's absolutely no way.
Capability of me growing 13 pounds of blueberries.
You know, we go through blueberries by massive quantities a day in this house.
(21:43):
So there's no way for me to do that without tons of acreage and
thousands of employees working a true farm just to feed our family.
That would be impossible.
But we also do make the effort very much to shop at all the
farmers markets and make sure that we buy all of our vegetables
from the people who are, the Oak Ridge Farmers Market's huge.
We love the Oak Ridge Farmers Market.
It is massive.
It's one of the biggest ones.
(22:04):
I think in the area as far as being able to literally go and shop a whole meal.
You can go and get bread, vegetables, meat, eggs, cheeses, spreads, whatever.
You can do a whole meal at the Oak Ridge Farmer's Market,
which is almost impossible to say about a farmer's market.
A lot of people just bring whatever's in season and
it's a lot of the same people bringing the same thing.
(22:26):
And Oak Ridge has all of the different things.
So, huge, huge event, uh, every weekend.
And, uh, we love that.
And we go because it's, one, fresh food, and two, because you need to get to
know the people that are going to make the food, just in case you need them.
You may need those people, you don't know.
Kristin Webber (22:44):
Exactly.
And I think that that's, that's kind of like the point to hit on is that.
I do think that just starting to reframe that mindset of instead of heading
straight to the big box store, like even for gift giving, let's, let's
not talk about food even, let's, let's kind of back it up a little bit.
Gift giving, you know, we have so many small local businesses
(23:07):
Who have really made a name for themselves in Knoxville and
kind of nationally too and internationally, you know, so
let's shop and support those makers and those artists as well.
And then we can go like, you know, fill in
elsewhere or whatever, you know, I don't know.
I just think local, local economy, local community, local, you
know, businesses has always been kind of an important thing.
(23:29):
for me and kind of like goes hand in hand with
the whole homesteading and getting back to basics.
And, and, you know, like I, my problem is,
is that I'm always like, I can make that.
And, you know, sometimes I'll be like, I, I can make that.
And I know I can make that, but sometimes it comes down to the timing, right?
Can you really, can you really make that, you
know, can you make all those gifts, you know?
So anyway, it's like support the local economy, support
(23:49):
your local businesses, go shop the farm markets and
then go fill in at the other, you know, you're still.
Supporting your local community.
Julia Hurley (24:01):
Have you considered reaching out over at the
Knox Ag School to see if you could put together a program?
Kristin Webber (24:07):
I am thinking if I talk to them or not.
I have not talked to them actually.
Reach out to Keith Carver and
Julia Hurley (24:14):
I'll make sure to make that,
like I'm connecting every, connect the Knox.
Keith Carver was on our podcast to talk about the growth of the Ag Department
at the University of Tennessee and they are growing leaps and bounds.
I mean this man is.
Genuinely so involved, and I mean, that leadership in general at
UT has changed completely into a positive, but Keith Carver is, Dr.
(24:36):
Keith Carver, who is over the ag department at the moment, is
really and truly bringing in new thought processes, new education
programs, and making sure that we are focused back on ag.
As the state of Tennessee, you know, our commerce,
ag, and it's kind of part of our state motto.
So agriculture's literally in our state motto and state symbol.
We need to make sure that we protect that.
(24:57):
And I feel like you're doing that for Knoxville.
I feel like you're really moving forward on something
that a lot of areas could take advantage of.
And you've brought that here.
It's enjoyable, it's simple, and it's affordable.
And it's something that I think people should know is available to them.
People are always like, what do I do on a weekend?
There's nothing to do.
It's raining.
Can't go to the mountains.
Can't do a hike.
There is something that Chicken Librarian has for you, I promise.
(25:18):
Just look it up on a weekend.
Uh, we have very limited time.
I have loved speaking with you.
I love spending time with you.
I appreciate you.
Tell everyone that's listening how they can find you and where
they can subscribe to your newsletter and schedule events.
Kristin Webber (25:31):
Sure.
And I really appreciate you.
I have, I said this, um, to you before that you are really all things Knoxville.
You are just like really bringing it all together.
And I appreciate you having me on here.
So again, I'm Kristen.
I own Chicken Librarian.
Um, I have a website chickenlibrarian.
com.
You can sign up for my newsletter through that.
You can also email me through that.
(25:53):
I have a contact page, but I also have
Facebook and I have Instagram chickenlibrarian.
com.
And my events, I have an events page, um, I have a Google calendar on my
website so people can go straight to my, um, website, click on 2024 events,
and you can see it, I just updated June's, I've got about 8 more events this
month, so there's still plenty of time and opportunities to catch me somewhere.
(26:16):
I love it,
Julia Hurley (26:16):
I love it.
Okay, we have 3 minutes, and here's gonna be the fun part.
We're going fire round.
Favorite restaurant.
Kristin Webber (26:22):
Oh, why, why are we doing fire rounds?
Uh, favorite restaurant.
You know what?
I love Aubrey's.
Oh, I love Aubrey.
Yes.
I love Aubrey's.
Aubrey is, honestly,
Julia Hurley (26:32):
we lost our Aubrey's here in Littler City.
Uh, the hospital in Littler City needed the building.
They were leasing from them, so they have taken their
building back and they've purchased a property, but it
will be nine to 12 months before they rebuild the Aubrey.
So here in Lenoir City, we're out in Aubrey's.
It is, it is very sad.
We, we, we have to drive to Bearable or Farragut, uh, or no, Farragut
(26:52):
doesn't have one anymore either, so we're going all the way to Cedar Bluff.
Kristin Webber (26:54):
Oh, see, I do the one in Powell.
Julia Hurley (26:56):
Yep, and I'm telling you, it is, you cannot beat Aubrey's.
Yes.
Fresh food, that place is fantastic.
Whoo, girl, you got me craving an Aubrey's salad now.
Kristin Webber (27:05):
Yeah, I like their tuna.
They have a really, what is it, the tuna sandwich?
Oh,
Julia Hurley (27:11):
their fried catfish is also delicious.
Kristin Webber (27:12):
Yes.
Yes.
We can just name the whole menu.
And
Julia Hurley (27:16):
the things that are no longer on the menu, they will still make.
Totally fine.
Oh, I didn't know
Kristin Webber (27:20):
that.
Um, you know what?
I'm not much of a drinker, so I don't go out very often.
Where was I recently?
Um, what's the, oh my gosh, totally forgot the name of it.
It's over on Broadway in like Central.
Julia Hurley (27:35):
Central Flats and Taps?
Kristin Webber (27:37):
No, it was the brewery.
Oh my gosh, now I'm going to have to look it up.
Oh, see, you should have warned me about this.
Oh my gosh, I'm going to use my three.
Julia Hurley (27:43):
This is why we have to get, we have got to
get actual genuine like round, like go go's, you know?
Kristin Webber (27:48):
It's not Albright, it's not, um, okay, we'll come back.
What's the next question?
Favorite gas
Julia Hurley (27:53):
station.
Everybody has one.
Everybody has a favorite gas station.
I like, if I can make it, if I can make it,
I like the Casey's off of Campbell Station.
It's, as soon as I get off the interstate, I go in, I get out, I keep going.
I am very, I'm very on that side of the road, so that's the one that I like.
And then if I'm coming the other way, it's Weigels on Campbell Station.
Kristin Webber (28:16):
I like a good Weigels, though.
There's, you know, I don't have a, I don't have a favorite
Weigels, although the one I, that pops into my head
first thing is the one on Emory and Dry Gap out near me.
Julia Hurley (28:28):
Oh yeah, so everybody has a favorite
specific location of their favorite gas station.
It is an odd question to ask, but people love it.
Favorite sandwich shop?
Kristin Webber (28:36):
Oh, Steamboat, Steamboat, Steamboat, Steamboat.
Yep, love them.
Yeah,
Julia Hurley (28:40):
right on that strip in Powell.
Yes, yes, yes.
Kristin Webber (28:43):
I
Julia Hurley (28:43):
know where you are.
Kristin Webber (28:44):
I see you.
I don't, I don't get out very often.
Julia Hurley (28:48):
That's okay, I know.
So, listen.
It's been 30 minutes.
I appreciate your time.
I've very much enjoyed seeing your face and how amazing you are and how
positive you are for the growth of Knoxville and the homesteading community.
We appreciate everything you do.
Thank you so much for listening in to another episode of Connect the Knox.
I'm Julia Hurley connecting Knoxville to the nation.
(29:08):
Until next time.
Thank you for tuning into the show.
Make sure to like and subscribe.
Leave a podcast player of choice.
And if you would like information on moving
to Knoxville, send me a private message.
As always, this is Julia Hurley connecting Knoxville to the nation.
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