Last fall I took a cooking class at Soul Food Farm in Vacaville and had the chance to meet Alexis Koefoed, owner and farmer extraordinaire. She later invited a group of us for dinner and a sleepover in her olive grove – a truly magical night under the stars. Ever since, I’ve been daydreaming about some sort of creative concept at the farm. I decided to ask Alexis if we could do a Livie & Luca photo shoot at Soul Food Farm and she kindly agreed to host us.

The more I know Alexis, the more inspired I am by her as an individual and by her way of life tending to and living from the land. She is a truly peaceful woman, grounded and from the earth. She raises chickens, (who lay the most delicious eggs I’ve ever eaten) she grows lavender from which she creates essential oil and bath salts and she has transformed a shipping container on the property into an artful, simple beautiful home.

I feel this kinship with Alexis because we both have a strong work ethic, a commitment to beauty and to telling a true story with what we do. I was excited to be back at the farm with her, where we could watch each other work, both in our element. We admired and respected her commitment to working the farm no matter the setbacks, and she in turn saw the dedication and hard work from the Livie & Luca team.

We all learn from each other. As a strong, committed woman, Alexis reminds me of the importance of working within your means, of making beauty wherever you are. She devotes herself to a small piece of land to live a peaceful, artful life and this perfect little shipping container among the chickens, and lavender and olive trees is so symbolic, such a reminder for me of simplicity and beauty.

Alexis’ way of life is an example of figuring out what it is that’s important to you and going for it with your whole heart, of finding what is meaningful and then building your life around it. It was energizing and, at the same time, grounding to be at Soul Food Farm again, and to share that experience with the team and Alexis.