our story
Why a holler.
Amherst County · Blue Ridge Mountains · Virginia
Fifteen minutes from town, the road narrows, the cell signal fades, and the trees close in. This is where Free Holler Farm begins, a small piece of ground in the Blue Ridge that has been quietly offering shelter for a very long time.
We tend this land with reverence for those who walked it before us, the Monacan Indian Nation, whose ancestral homelands stretch through these mountains, and the generations of Blue Ridge families who knew a holler as a place of refuge.
The Name
Free.
Holler.
A holler is what Blue Ridge folks call a hollow, a narrow valley pressed between two ridges. Historically, this particular area became known as a place where enslaved people were brought into the mountains and were free on this land. The hollow became associated with refuge, safety, freedom, and the possibility of a different life. That history is not decoration, it is the heart of why this place is called what it is.
Free is what we hope you'll feel here, in a different but deeply human way. Freedom from noise. Freedom from performance. Freedom from the relentless pressure of modern life. Freedom to be quiet, honest, and held, long enough to remember who you actually are.
the stewards
Practitioners. Caretakers.
Hosts of this hollow.
Chris & Anastasia Bray
Chris and Anastasia steward Free Holler Farm together, bringing a shared love of hospitality, the outdoors, faith, wellness, and the kind of slow gathering that lets people exhale.
The work of restoration and the work of stewardship, for us, are the same work.
Our Story
Free Holler Farm was born from a simple belief: sometimes the greatest gift we can give ourselves is the space to slow down.
Although our journeys have been very different, they have led us to the same place. Along the way, we've experienced seasons of joy and success, loss and disappointment, questions and healing. Through careers in professional sports, wellness, leadership, ministry, business, and hospitality, we've learned that people aren't just longing for another vacation. They're longing for rest. For authentic connection. For meaningful conversation. For places where they can simply exhale.
We've both developed a deep love and appreciation for the outdoors. Time in nature has a way of quieting the noise, restoring perspective, and reminding us of what really matters. Some of our most meaningful conversations with God, with each other, and with ourselves have happened on a trail, beside the water, gathered around a table, or sitting quietly beneath the trees.
Our experiences have shaped us in different ways. They've taught us resilience, hospitality, compassion, and the importance of creating spaces where people feel safe to show up exactly as they are. We've learned that healing isn't something we force. It often happens when we finally have room to breathe.
That is the heart behind Free Holler Farm.
We dreamed of creating a place that felt a little removed from the pace of everyday life. A place where people could unplug, reconnect with creation, enjoy nourishing meals, share honest conversations, and recalibrate their hearts, minds, and bodies. A place rooted in hospitality, simplicity, and what the Hebrew Scriptures call Shalom—a life of wholeness, restoration, and peace.
When we found this little farm tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains, we knew it was more than a property. It felt like an invitation. We didn't wait until life was perfectly arranged before saying yes. We chose to begin, trusting that meaningful things are often built one faithful step at a time.
Whether you come here seeking rest, clarity, adventure, connection, or simply a break from the noise, our hope is that you'll leave feeling renewed, grounded, and perhaps just a little more connected to yourself, to those you love, to creation, and to God.
Welcome to Free Holler Farm.
We're grateful you're here.
The life you're longing for begins when you slow down enough to reconnect with what matters most.
Freedom
From noise. From performance. From the version of yourself the world keeps asking you to be. The deeper resonance this hollow has carried for generations.
Transformation
Not a wellness weekend. A turning. People arrive tired and leave changed, clearer, quieter, more themselves. With God, this kind of restoration is possible.
Reconnection
With your own body and breath. With the people you love. With creation, with truth, and with the God who designed each of them on purpose.
"Come, and you will see."