ABOUT THE WORD BARN & MEADOW
A GATHERING SPACE FOR LANGUAGE & SONG
The Word Barn was created to promote the sharing and cultivation of the arts in an open and welcoming setting, and contribute to an already existing and thriving arts community.
This multifaceted venue is designed to host a variety of music, workshops, educational, and literary events focused on an intimate and inspiring community gathering setting.
THE WORD BARN, 66 NEWFIELDS ROAD, EXETER, NH 03833
THE BARN
Originally the horse stable of Raynes Farm (circa 1695), the renovated barn provides an experience unlike any other. The intimate setting, welcoming vibe, and vibrant energy has kept performers and patrons alike coming back for more, time and time again.
The Word Barn serves as a unique and intimate glorified house concert setting and concert experience unlike any other. With impeccable acoustics, inspiring setting, unique interaction with performers, and a combination of seats, stools, and balcony, it provides a superb community gathering space centered around quality events.
THE MEADOW
After shutting down alongside every other venue in March 2020, Ben and Sarah used their creative forces to transform their back field into an open-air, distanced performance space that ultimately became dubbed “The Word Barn Meadow.” A silver lining of the pandemic, The Meadow provided a much-needed sense of normalcy and access to quality arts—and the creation of a new summer home for The Word Barn gatherings.
IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIR
Ben is a music fanatic and promoter. Sarah is a poet and teacher. Together, they organize and host a variety of events and workshops in their intimate and inspiring barn located in the rural Seacoast region of New Hampshire.
THE FARM
As the former horse stable of the Raynes Farm, The Word Barn, has roots going back well into the 17th century; a highly successful cattle market once ran on the property in the 1800s. Today, 50 acres exist in accessible town conservation, while the Andersons enjoy the pleasures of raising and sharing naturally raised farm products when they can.
Pasture-Raised Happy Pork
Enjoy locally raised pork that has been pasture-raised and fed an all-natural diet and raised happily with lots of room to roam and root!
There’s nothing quite like family raised, small batch pork that was once the norm back in the day. We only raise slightly more than our family needs, so quantities are limited and our pork is currently sold out. Email us if you’d like to be notified when it’s available.
Raw Honey
Our bees enjoy an all-natural lifestyle of foraging nearby fields and gardens for wildflower and crop nectar and pollen. As a result, they reward us by producing a delicious blend of flavors in honey’s most natural form.
Our pure, raw honey is harvested throughout the warmer months, extracted from honeycomb and placed directly in jars, without any alterations and only lightly filtered. Each harvest, depending on the most prevalent flowers at the time, produces its own distinct coloring and floral undertones. It can be enjoyed in any manner, but a favorite in the Anderson house is on bread or directly from the spoon.
All natural honey will eventually crystallize—it’s actually a sign that it is high-quality and the nutritious pollen hasn’t been filtered out, and the important enzymes haven’t been damaged by pasteurization! You can enjoy crystalized honey as is, or place your jar in a warm water bath and the crystals will dissipate.
Free Range Eggs
The varieties of our flock are ever changing, but consist of a mainstay of heritage breeds, including Speckled Sussex and Silver Laced Wyandottes, as well as our well-loved Barred Rocks and Buff Orphingtons.
Our happy hens (and proud rooster) enjoy foraging for grubs and insects, complemented by grain, to produce delicious, healthy eggs for the self-serve egg box at the end of our driveway.
Given the demand, it’s not often that you will catch the “Eggs Are In” sign, but keep your eye out the next time you are passing through.
You can also find eggs available at our merch tables during our events, while supplies last.