To attend an alfresco dinner at Churchview Farm is to be transported to a magical land that feels lightyears away from city limits. In reality, this sustainable family farmette is located in Pittsburgh’s South Hills in the heart of Baldwin Borough.
It’s easy to see why owner Tara Rockacy adores calling this place home. She shares the land with her two dogs, three cats and three pet goats (all adopted rescues), plus a flock of chickens; there’s also an apiary offering seasonal raw honey and contributing to vital crop pollination.
Now, big changes are coming to the space after a nearly five-year journey — changes that Rockacy says will expand the farm’s educational offerings and bring it closer to her ultimate vision.
Last June, in the middle of an enchanting farm-to-table feast, Rockacy paused diners’ banter for an exciting announcement. The farmer and educator, who lives on the property once owned by her grandparents, Hilda and Emil, had just returned from a council meeting; she’d finally received approval to build a teaching and event space that includes a dining/classroom capacity for around 40 people.
The addition will be a multi-purpose community engagement space for education, the farm’s primary mission, and for events that sustain it, Rockacy says. Until recently, having only outdoor space limited the venue’s ability to host year-round events. With the teaching kitchen project’s approval, that will soon change…