Event center officially opening in March
The Farm Rows, a new event center located at 100 Farm Rows Drive in Boyle, will be officially opening in March of this year. Kris Yeager Prewitt and her husband, a local farmer, Bern Prewitt went on a trip to Round Top, Texas for an antique show a few years ago.
“We decided to go, and on our way, we were talking about this 25 acres he had that wasn’t being utilized,” said Kris Prewitt. “He saw way off in the distance in Texas, not a wedding chapel, but a big white barn that was a good deal off. He said, why don’t we do something like that?”
After staying at an Airbnb for the antique show, the idea for The Farm Rows started coming together. Prewitt said they talked about utilizing the area as a destination space for weddings as well as other events. They planned to have multiple buildings with spaces to rent and shotgun houses that could be used as Airbnbs or rented along with the event spaces.
After the plan was in place they began construction on their first building. Prewitt said it was intended to be the kitchen, reception area, and bar for the events, but after completing it they decided to take a pause because of the expense.
“This building was going to be just for cooking demonstrations and used as support for all the food events,” said Prewitt. “Then we got to the point where we had already started it, and with the economy the way it is, there was still a lag in supplies. So we decided, let’s just do this and continue to add on as we go.”
Since then, Prewitt said they have leveled the ground where they plan to put their larger event center and put down sod. They have also added electricity that can reach the tent area.
“I’m lucky enough to get to live, work, and build projects with my husband,” said Prewitt.
Prewitt feels they have a great start on their plan with this first building. Now that they have this reception area, as well as flat land to work with, large tents can be brought in for weddings in the clearing and receptions can follow in the event center.
“We made this what it is and we are just really pleased with it,” said Prewitt. “It gives us a good grounding. We still have more to do, but it doesn’t have to be all done right now, so to speak.”
According to Prewitt, the event center has gotten a great response from those who have utilized it. They have hosted two private events to test the waters and the feedback has all been positive.
So far, with no advertising, they already have twelve weddings booked for 2025. Prewitt said, as of this moment, they do not have their own tables and chairs, so these items will need to be rented separately for events.
“We have worked with Jennifer at Cleveland Party Rental in the past,” said Prewitt. “She’s been in here many times, and she has done a set of drawings. So when people come to her, she already knows the measurements, which is nice.”
Customers are welcome to use any decorator, but Prewitt said they should be approved by Prewitt or Crews themselves.
“We’ll work with any decorator we know,” said Prewitt. “The clean up and turnover between events must be seamless, so we must be in constant communication with the decorator and/or event planner.”
Prewitt said their calendar is going to fill up quickly, and she cant wait to see how each bride and groom decorate and utilize the space.
“So right now brides are calling right after they get engaged, but I would recommend anyone looking to rent the venue reach out twelve months before the date they are wanting,” said Prewitt. “You are always welcome to check with us and see if something is doable, but if you want to make sure you get a specific date make sure you reach out as soon as possible.”
According to Prewitt, around 300 people can fit in the center as long as they are able to flow in and out to the patio areas.
“We try not to charge a lot of the charges other venues do,” said Prewitt. “We think we charge reasonably. We’re trying to do it different and make it better for the customer so there are no surprises.”
Prewitt said she has been more like a project manager as the project has progressed, but technically she co-owns the Farm Rows alongside chef and long time Mississippi Delta Community College culinary instructor, David Crews. Crews said along with his partnership in the business, he will be basing his catering operations in the Farm Rows and will be the “chef in residence”.
“It is going to be an awesome event venue and I am so happy to finally have a home base kitchen,” said Crews. “I am excited to bring new and fun things to the delta, like guest chefs, themed dinners, and pop ups! I hold a Bachelors of Science in culinary arts
from the culinary arts institute at MUW, a baking and pastries certification from Johnson & Wales University and have spent the last seventeen years running the culinary program for Mississippi Delta Community College.”
According to his website, chefdavidcrews.com, Crews has served as part of the culinary support staff for the Southern Foodways Symposium, as a celebrity chef for Holland American Cruise Line, and is the co-founder and chef of “The Delta Supper Club”. He is the executive chef for Six Shooter Land and Timber, and has hosted private culinary events for “special guests such as: Morgan Freeman, Herbie Hancock, Rosanne Cash, the late Justice Antonin Scalia, PGA golfer Zach Johnson and many more”.
“I won the title ‘King of American Seafood’ in 2013,” said Crews. “I competed on Season 2 of Food Network’s ‘Cutthroat Kitchen’, and Season 4 of Food Network’s ‘Supermarket Stakeout’. I was also featured in Simon Majumdar’s book, ‘Fed White and Blue’.
Although Prewitt has been carefully collecting items to furnish the event center and has been instrumental in the managing process so far, she said she has already hired a full time manager for the business who will be starting this March.
“We will have a manager running the events and coordinating with Chef Dave and any other chefs,” said Prewitt. “We are allowing other chefs to utilize the facility as long as they’re approved by Crews, properly accredited, and insured. They can host it and cook their food here.”
According to Prewitt, this setup will bring new chefs to the Delta, and allow our Delta chefs a place to do special dinners as well as cooking demonstrations. When events are not already booked in the center, Crews will create an exciting schedule of culinary events for people to buy tickets to. These events include cooking demonstrations from Crews and other chefs as well as special themed dinners with live music.
“We will provide are availabilities on our website and people can reserve spaces for each event,” said Prewitt. “So if we have an event coming up, and we’re gonna have 80 tickets. The people that are on that mailing list will be the first to know, and it’ll have to be first come first serve for whoever buys the first 80 tickets.”
“They say there’s six degrees of separation with people, but in the Delta, it drops down to one,” said Prewitt. “So that’s one of the things people feel with the Delta, that there’s just this closeness.”
Prewitt described the Farm Rows as “Delta Casual” with the wood ceiling, wood walls, indoor/outdoor fireplace, and chandeliers with crystals dangling in the light.
“We’re nice here on the inside, we have marble, nice chairs, and pretty furniture, but we’re still a little rough around the edges,” said Prewitt. “We’re on the farm. We’re in the middle of everything. We have neighbors and the farms are all around, so I think we try to capture the food, the hospitality, and the feel of the delta.”
Prewitt has gone to extremes to find the perfect pieces for the center. She even drove to Arkansas with her sister and slept in her car overnight, just to be first in line to get the antique wooden bar that is now sitting in the Farm Rows. They carefully added height to the beautiful antique bar and it is now set up for customers to enjoy when they visit.
“I was exhausted, but it’s beautiful, so it was worth it,” said Prewitt. “We’re trying to add a piece of familiarity like your home, but still in an elevated manner. I can honestly say if something like this would have been available when we were getting married, this would have been our first choice.”
If you would like to keep up with The Farm Rows, Prewitt said you can go to their website, thefarmrows.com, and sign up for their newsletters. They plan to have a facebook page up and running later this year.
There are three newsletter options on the website. According to Prewitt, an Exciting Culinary Experience would be a cooking demonstration, a Masterful Epicurean Journey is a thorough exploration of local delta cuisine and will be set up more for those traveling through the delta in large groups, and a Gourmet Occasion Hosting would be considered a private party.
“If a boat was coming to the dock at Mississippi River and we had booked them for lunches or dinners, that, to me, is an epicurean journey,” said Prewitt. “Because they’re generally from other places, and they’re getting our culture through our food and our music, but also the hospitality of the delta at the same time.”
According to Prewitt, Chef Crews is already in talks with the cruise lines to serve lunches to the passengers while they are in port. They are considering having Delta Blues Brunches with authentic blues music and gourmet delta food.