Katie McMillan Crutchfield is the chef & owner of The Dancing Bear Cafe: a renovated chicken hatchery nestled in the corn fields of Corder, Missouri amongst her old farm house, 2 AirBnB rentals, 13 peacocks, 5 horses, 5 cats, 7 dogs, a multitude of chickens & ducks, one pig & a pony. And then there’s the wildlife…orphaned raccoons, killer foxes, and leaderless coyotes. In this fun and kooky episode we hear what life is like at Katie’s plant & animal oasis; a peaceable kingdom surrounded by never-ending ag fields where crop dusting planes roar overhead & cancer is commonplace. When it comes to story time it might as well be the beginning of a whimsical children’s book: two tales from the time when Katie - at a life crossroads & very much alone - moved into an abandoned farm house with no doors where she lived with her animal friends both domestic & wild. And as her reputation in the community grew, she became the unofficial, local wildlife rehabilitator working with the likes of barred owls, pileated woodpeckers & possum joeys. Today, all the farm's outbuildings have a new life: the dilapidated chicken hatchery is now a destination fine-dining restaurant, and a railroad shanty from the ol’ coal mine behind the property is a charming AirBnB cottage. This episode is further proof that you can build your own version of a happy & unique life.
Check out Katie's restaurant Dancing Bear Cafe on Facebook & Instagram. And next time you're passing through Missouri, book one of the AirBnBs at her farm: Artist Cottage or The Pond House.
Follow Our Numinous Nature & my naturalist illustrations on Instagram
Check out my shop of shirts, prints, and books featuring my art
Contact: herbaceoushuman@gmail.com