Just outside of Clarksville, nestled between corn fields, is a small livestock farm with a big vision. Rémy Powell, owner of Agape Farmstead, is restoring the land on his five-acre farm and engaging young minds through regenerative agriculture. Following an approach that integrates agriculture with learning and faith, his vision is to build a farm that exists in harmony with nature, provides high-quality meat to feed his neighbors, and inspires the next generation of farmers.
Rémy founded Agape Farmstead three years ago on a farming philosophy shaped by his faith and his belief that regenerative farming practices can restore the land to the natural state that God intended for it. This conviction inspires him to “work with the land– not against it.” His farming practices mimic natural systems and deliver high-quality products– all part of his mission to nourish his community.
As a teacher at Clarksville Christian School, Rémy’s biggest passion is sharing his knowledge and love for regenerative farming with his students. Rémy uses his farm as a tool to teach and inspire young farmers, providing hands-on learning and mentorship that helps the next generation develop both practical knowledge and a deeper connection to the land and food.
Agape Farmstead uses rotational grazing– a practice which restores soil health and promotes biodiversity. The farm also forgoes the use of fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides, preventing chemical runoff into nearby streams and rivers. These practices are good for soil health, water quality, and Rémy’s wallet: by utilizing the animals to fertilize and regenerate the soil, he can avoid buying chemicals and save on supplemental feed.
River Friendly Farm Certified
In 2026, Agape Farmstead was certified as a River Friendly Farm by the Cumberland River Compact. 
“To us, being a River Friendly Farm means stewarding the land the way it was originally intended– caring for soil, water, and animals in a way that restores rather than depletes. Through regenerative practices like rotational grazing and soil-building agriculture, we aim to honor our role as caretakers of the land that God has allowed us to steward.”
The River Friendly Farm certification program from the Cumberland River Compact recognizes farmers who are good stewards of water and land resources, connecting them with consumers who value a healthy environment. As a River Friendly Farm, Agape Farmstead is ensuring cleaner water, healthier soil, and a more resilient climate for the people and creatures living in the surrounding environment.
River-Friendly BMPs
The central management practice of Rémy’s operation is rotational grazing. In this system, the farm’s pastures are divided into paddocks, and animals are moved between the paddocks on a regular basis to ensure no one area is over-grazed, giving the grass time to recover between rotations. This system mimics the way buffalo used to graze on the Great Plains, moving across the grasslands and fertilizing the soil with their manure along the way. By rotating his lambs, chickens, and turkeys, Rémy can manage his land in a way that mirrors this natural system, allowing roots to grow deeper and more nutrients to remain in the soil.
A Holistic Grazing System
Rémy uses chicken and turkey tractors– essentially moveable pens– to rotate his birds to new sections of pasture. As the birds are rotated, they fertilize the soil with their nitrogen-rich manure. This removes the need to fertilize and helps to produce vigorous forage.
Once the grass has had time to grow back, the lambs will graze the same area where the chickens previously grazed. In this way, Agape Farmstead functions as a complete system in which the different species of livestock each serve a vital function. Rémy has plans to add pigs into the mix this year, whose burrowing behavior will speed up the process of composting on the farm. The compost will be used to continue building rich, healthy soils across the property.
Protecting Red River Water Quality
The benefits of rotational grazing go beyond soil health. Healthier soils mean better plant growth, deeper roots, and improved water infiltration, which in turn reduces the amount of runoff from agricultural lands into waterways. By practicing rotational grazing, Rémy is improving water quality in the Red River, which flows through Clarksville before it enters the Cumberland.
Business-Friendly BMPs
Rotational grazing is also a business decision: having a diverse pasture with healthy soil helps Rémy save money on pesticides, fertilizers, and supplemental feed like hay or corn. It also allows him to sell high-quality, grass-fed and grass-finished meat that consumers are proud to buy. Rémy’s philosophy of stewarding the land in the most natural way possible turns out to be both economically viable and better for his animals!
Growing the Next Generation of River Friendly Farmers
Rémy has long had a vision to bring the classroom to the pasture. Agape Farmstead provides the opportunity to bring Clarksville Christian students to his farm as interns, where they learn the ins and outs of regenerative farming practices and the business side of running a farm. Many of his students come from urban or suburban areas and have never had any exposure to agriculture. Through Rémy’s classes and internship program, many of these students have discovered a passion for agriculture and even decided to pursue it as a career. At the end of the day, it’s this impact on the lives of his students that brings his bold vision to life.
How to Support Agape Farmstead
Meat from Agape Farmstead can be purchased at the Clarksville Farmers Market. Interested customers can also get in touch with Rémy over email or via Facebook or Instagram to purchase directly from the farm.
