Forevermore Farm in the News

Our little off-grid farm in Lyles, Tennessee has caught some attention. Here are the stories WKRN News 2 and PBS have told about life at Forevermore Farm — from solar-powered homesteading to Concetta's straw bale garden and the Hickman County Ag & Arts Tour.

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Our little off-grid farm in Lyles, Tennessee has caught some attention. Here are the stories WKRN News 2 and PBS have told about life at Forevermore Farm — from solar-powered homesteading to Concetta's straw bale garden and the Hickman County Ag & Arts Tour.

WKRN News 2 · June 2026 · Hickman County Ag & Arts Tour

WKRN News 2 — Experience the Rural Life in Hickman County

WKRN News 2 visited Hickman County to spotlight rural life ahead of the 2026 Ag & Arts Tour — the self-guided tour of small farms, gardens, and artisans held Friday, June 19 and Saturday, June 20, 2026. Forevermore Farm is one of the featured stops on the tour. Tucked into the hills of Lyles, Tennessee about 45 minutes from Nashville, the farm runs almost entirely on solar power with no grid electricity, raises heritage Berkshire and Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, and grows Concetta's well-known straw bale garden. Visitors who watched the segment can come see it all in person during the tour weekend.

Read the full story on WKRN News 2 →Plan your visit — Ag & Arts Tour details →See all events →
Volunteer Gardener mark

Volunteer Gardener spotlighted Concetta's straw bale garden at Forevermore Farm.

PBS · Volunteer Gardener · Streaming now

PBS Volunteer Gardener — Concetta's Straw Bale Garden

Nashville PBS featured Forevermore Farm on Volunteer Gardener, where Concetta shows how her straw bale garden works — a no-dig method of growing vegetables and flowers directly in conditioned straw bales. It's one of the most-asked-about parts of the farm, and the full episode is streaming now. Watch it, then visit the garden in person and learn the method yourself.

Watch on PBS →About the straw bale garden →Volunteer Gardener visit info →
WKRN News 2 · July 3, 2025

WKRN News 2 — Hickman County Homesteaders Living Off-Grid

In a 2025 special report, WKRN News 2 covered how the West family lives off-grid in Hickman County — running their Lyles, Tennessee farm almost entirely on solar power with no grid electricity. The story followed everyday life on a working homestead: heritage pigs, goats, sheep, chickens, gardens, and a family choosing a slower, more self-reliant way of living close to the land.

“It tastes better knowing that it came out of your garden. And it tastes better knowing that you raised the animal that you're eating. It's healthier.”

— Olin West, WKRN News 2 · July 3, 2025
Read the special report on WKRN News 2 →

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