Down on the Farm Former pastor finds his niche with children’s YouTube show By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
F
ormer pastor Caleb Anderson and video producer Paul Dowler never thought they would produce a children’s show. An author and life coach, Anderson had been writing popular daily devotional blogs and recording podcasts for more than a year in Huntington Beach, California, and in the Valley. Dowler was a set dresser in film and television in Los Angeles for nearly 20 years before transitioning his creative talents to ministry. He had a vision to turn Anderson’s audio podcasts into video episodes as well, enhancing overall production quality for Anderson’s nonprofit, Spirit Farm, which has a mission to promote personal growth and development mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Loft 19 in Deer Valley gave the pair the chance to use its production stages, so they packed up and moved to the Valley of the Sun.
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Over the past six months, Anderson and Dowler have produced over 50 video and audio podcast episodes, from weekly meditations and inspirational messages to interviews with local well-loved talents like Scott MacIntyre of “American Idol” to controversial guests such as Martin Kirsten, former bodyguard to Heidi Klum and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden. But in mid-March, when COVID-19 hit the world hard and fast, the duo knew they couldn’t conduct business as usual and the idea of a kids’ show, “Spirit Farm Kids,” took root. “I had this idea for ‘Spirit Farm’ to be a personal development company with a faith foundation,” says Anderson, of Phoenix. “I do a podcast and create content for adults. Churches are shutting down and our own young kids were at home all the time online. I thought there has to be better stuff out there. “We have access to this amazing studio. My brother (Aaron Anderson) is a very talented
musician who wrote five original songs for the first five shows. My friend Paul was a movie and TV show guy back in LA. He now lives here. In two weeks, we put together five shows and shot them.” Anderson and his wife Hilary figured it would be the perfect opportunity to provide good fun entertainment while also addressing topics kids might be experiencing, like fear and worry. “Our own kids, who range in age from 2 to 7 years old, had questions about the virus and why they couldn’t see their friends and family,” Anderson explains. “So, we thought, ‘What a great time to do a kid’s show version of the type of content we are already creating for adults.’” Dowler, however, knew “throwing together” a kids’ show was not as easy as it sounded, but within a week, on a nonexistent budget, a set was in place; a camera operator, Dowler’s son, Jordan, and a video editor volunteered
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