Elisa Barnes

One of the fondest memories of growing up in an Italian household was the family get-togethers … and those times always included food! From a young age, Elisa could be found in the kitchen with her grandmother. Using fresh ingredients from her grandfather’s garden and meats from local farms, they spent their time together making delicious meals for everyone. Whether it was an old family recipe or experimenting with something new, their heart and soul went into everything they made. Needless to say, it was not surprising that her love of cooking carried over into adulthood. With their children grown, Elisa and her fiancé now live on a 5 acre homestead in SC with their 2 dogs, 50 chickens (chicken math is real!), and 2 turtles. Growing a majority of their own produce, harvesting their own meat during hunting season, and learning how to process and preserve those foods is bringing them closer to living the self-sufficient life they are striving for.