Newbern, Tennessee is the place to go if you looking for a bakery, but not just any bakery. Newbern is home to the Farm House Barkery! This “barkery” specializes in something unique and special: dog treats!

Using a blend of all natural ingredients, Becky Bruewer along with her husband Tim opened the Farm House Barkery in 2011. Their mission is to provide pet owners with a locally made dog treat that people can trust.

Farm House Barkery’s story started in 2005. Becky had two dogs that were very much loved by their family. One of her dogs died and the other became very sick. It was all due to an ingredient in foreign-made dog treats. Becky felt the loss of her dogs very deeply and swore she would never buy dog treats again, and she didn’t.

Time went on and Becky added to her family. She, like all pet owners, loved her pets and wanted to shower them in treats, so she started making them for her dogs. Becky and Tim avoid using salt and sugar in the dog treats, unless they are a special occasion treat, “Special occasions call for special treats, so our iced treats have a little bit of sugar. The All Natural Peanut Butter also has salt already added.” To avoid using sugar in their fruit and vegetable treats, homemade applesauce is used. Becky and Tim take care to do things the right way.

Becky didn’t start selling the dog treats right away. It was just something she was doing for her family, but in 2010, out of the blue, Becky’s cat got sick. When she was going to the vet, she took some of her freshly made treats with her, and that’s when the idea for the Barkery was born. The vet told her the treats were wonderful, and that she needed to start making these and selling them. Becky laughed as she told the story, “I said ‘you have got to be kidding me. You think I have time for that?’ He said ‘Becky, no. You'd be surprised at how many people want U.S. based dog treats.” Becky was not ready to do that. At a stalemate, they went their own way.

That year Becky had more sick dogs than she had ever had in her life, “I don’t know what the deal was. I don’t know if God was trying to tell me this was the route to take or what. Every time I went into the vet’s office he asked, ‘Becky, you gonna do it? Gonna do it? Becky, you going to do it?’ I would say ‘No Dr. Martin, I am not going to do it. I don’t have time.’ Becky, however, got worn down by the good veterinarian. “So finally, I thought, you know if just showing him that he’s wrong or just doing it so that my dogs and other dogs will be healthy… this is the route I’m going to go. I’m going to do it.”

After some research, talking with the US Department of Agriculture for licensing, gathering up all the information, and figuring out packaging, it took Becky about seven months to get everything she needed to feel ready to start Farm House Barkery. On October 1st, 2011, they opened the company.

The Bruewers are Century Farm owners, which is how they came up with the name Farm House Barkery. They have been in continuous farming for 128 years so the name “Couldn't have been anything other than Farm House,” Becky told us. Right now there are 12 locations, besides the main location in Newbern, where you can buy Farm House Barkery dog treats. One of those locations is Dr. Martin’s Vetrinary Clinic, “I went over there and told him, ‘now that we’re open, are you going to stock us?’” he, of course, said yes becoming their first retail location. In March of 2012, Becky started going to farmer’s markets to sell Farm House Barkery dog treats, “and from there that’s where the company really started blooming and blossoming.”

Farm House Barkery dog treats are a Pick Tennessee Product. In 2014, they were the Tennessee Secretary of State’s April Spotlight Business which really surprised them. Becky told us, “When I saw the email I was like Oh lord this can’t be good. What paperwork did I forget?” The Spotlight Business award came out of nowhere, Becky and Tim were ecstatic.

Not only do the Bruewers make wonderful products, they also give back to the pet community with a ‘give back’ quarterly donation.  In 2018, those recipients included the Streetdog Foundation of Memphis, the Carroll County Humane Society, Country Road Animal Rescue of Waynesboro and the Big Fluffy Dog of Nashville.  St Jude Children’s Research Hospital of Memphis is also a special selection charity at Christmas time. They decorate their house with lights set to music and have a box for folks to drop donations into.  “We enjoy hearing how much you enjoy this special light show!” Becky explained that the light show expands each and every year. “We would also like to say thank you to those who support our company. Through your purchases, we are able to pass it on!”

If you’re looking for these all natural, fresh, oven-baked, locally made dog treats check out Farm House Barkery at their store: 116 E. Main St. Newbern, TN 38059 or visit their website for some online shopping at https://www.farmhousebarkerytreats.com/. They can also be reached by email at info@farmhousebarkerytreats.com, by phone 870-918-5411, and find them on facebook at Farm House Barkery LLC.