Located in the village of Indian Hill, Turner Farm is the largest certified organic farm in the Cincinnati area. The farm has been in operation since the early 1800s and in 1994, under the stewardship of Bonnie Mitsui, it became a farm devoted to growing organically. Turner Farm is now also home to one of the nation’s premier teaching kitchens and provides educational opportunities for community members who want to bring the ethos of stewardship into their own kitchens.  The Turner Farm Teaching Kitchen offers cooking classes and a state-of-the-art learning experience where chefs and other food and wellness educators make sustainability and mindfulness into a delicious and edifying experience. The space features closed-circuit TV, with two cameras capturing the lecture for an enhanced learning environment for 50 guests.  Built in consultation with The Culinary Institute of America, it is intended for cooking classes using fresh-grown ingredients in such a way that promotes bodily health and mental well-being.  It is also host to the University of Cincinnati Center for Integrative Health and Wellness, teaching medical students valuable nutrition information, culinary skills, and self-care practices.

Prior to renovation, the barn consisted of the two-story barn component, a lean-to shed addition in the middle and a second open shed implement storage addition at the rear.  We chose to remove the shed additions and replace them using a similar vernacular shape housing the teaching kitchen and support functions at the rear.  The barn was painstakingly restructured and rebuilt.  Radiant flooring was added throughout and outdoor event areas were created.  The original greenhouse, fatally damaged by a falling tree, was recreated and outfitted.