HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – An expansive conservation farm in Crofton achieved an important milestone this summer, having hosted 500 weddings over the past decade. The beautiful landscape and immersive venues at Burdoc Farms have not only established them as a local triumph but has also attracted couples from across the world who want to spend their special day engrained in the culture of a family-owned farm.

“My husband passed away two and a half years ago, he was helping us run this place and it was really his vision and dream for it to be what it is today…that is all due to his hard work,” said Sara Shepherd, founder and owner of Burdoc Farms Weddings and Events. “This is another way of owning land and managing land and taking care of the land.”

Alongside weddings, Burdoc Farms is a functioning conservation farm, stewardship farm, wildlife habitat and a certified tree farm. They are able to share these experiences with people who come through for weddings and events. Couples have traveled from Dubai, England, South Africa as well as from states across the nation including New York, Alaska, Hawaii, California and more.

“We are now doing 60-80 weddings a year, and we are having people from all over the world,” she told Christian County Now. “Destination weddings when I was young were at the beach, but that’s not the case anymore.”

This summer they hosted their 500th wedding on the farm, and the couple was local to Christian County which made it even more special of a celebration to her family.

“When you are here all the time and you grow up in it, you take it for granted,” said Event Manager Jessica Caudill, Sara’s daughter. “I think people like that small hometown feel. There’s something to be said for really knowing who your neighbors are.”

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History of Burdoc Farms, building up the wedding business together

“What makes us different than a lot of venues is that this is our home, this is our legacy,” said Shepherd. Her daughter added, “We are trying to share more than just the venue.”

Spanning over 600 acres, Burdoc Farms originated as a functioning beef cattle and tobacco farm in 1942, owned by the Shepherd family. Sara married into the farm life and eventually took over ownership with her husband. Together they transitioned the land into a conservation farm.

Around 2012, they hosted their daughter’s wedding in the old tobacco barn which immediately kickstarted interest. Even with barebones offerings in the beginning and no additional amenities available, they quickly started booking. This led to the renovation of two barns, and in 2016 they built a year-round completely indoor venue overlooking a pond.

During her husband’s battle with cancer, her adult children who had all long ago left the nest returned to support operations on the farm and help build up the wedding business. “We always told our children we wanted them to pursue their dreams, if it was this farm great, if it wasn’t, great.”

“I’m glad my children are here, because it was hard,” said an emotional Shepherd. She and her daughter agreed that running a family business is rewarding, although it is not always easy. Caudill added, “If you asked me if I would be living in Crofton three miles from the farm, I never would have guessed that.”

Multiple locations are available at the farm for receptions and ceremonies, including designated areas for bridal parties to get ready and scenic outdoor areas to provide backdrops for every type of event. The largest venue, called Keith Glen, includes a loft, a wall of west facing windows, and a full bar.

This fall, Burdoc Farms will also host the first ever Hops & Harvest Lantern Festival, where local breweries in the region will gather for food, live music, drinks and a community lantern launch. Find them at 1655 Pleasant Grove Road in Crofton.

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