Interviews

‘Stressful. Incredible. Amazing. Frustrating. Fabulous. Exhausting. Rewarding.’ Those are the words Josh Kilmer-Purcell uses to describe competing on this season’s ‘The Amazing Race.’ ‘I could go on and on. It was simply the biggest experience I’ve ever had, and we were very fortunate to be chosen,’ he says.

‘It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,’ echoes Brent Ridge, Josh’s partner of 15 years. ‘As we’ve gotten older and more mature in our relationship, we’ve learned that the memories you build with one another are the most valuable possession you’ve got. Even more valuable than a million dollars.’

The two certainly have some memories. While Brent was a practicing physician, Josh was dating a crack-addicted hustler and moonlighting as a drag queen named Aquadisiac in New York. He wrote about those experiences in ‘I Am Not Myself These Days,’ a memoir that became a New York Times bestseller.

To stand out from all the other drag queens, he wore live goldfish in his costume. And of course, PETA protested.

‘They sent me a letter,’ Josh explains. ‘And they were kinda right about it. While none of my fish were harmed by appearing in my drag costume breasts, I’m sure it wasn’t the most pleasant experience for them. I wouldn’t do it again.’

Although he hasn’t done drag for over 15 years, Josh says his favorite Atlanta drag queen is Charlie Brown. ‘She and the Goddess Raven will forever hold the top spots in my heart.’

The couple met in New York City in 2000 and have been together every since. In 2007, they purchased a 19th century farmhouse in Sharon Springs, New York to launch a lifestyle business, Beekman 1802. Today, they grow 80% of their own food and sell soaps, homegoods and other items on their Web site.

‘I love the history of the Beekman Mansion,’ says Josh. ‘I love feeling like Brent and I were somehow ‘chosen’ to be stewards of this 208-year-old property for as long as we’re able to. Sometimes, I feel that the house is taking care of us as much as the reverse. Brent agrees. ‘What we like most is that living on the farm gives us the opportunity to learn something new every single day, and we are better people because of that.’

In fact, the farm may even be haunted. Brent reveals that according to a local energy reader, there are five spirits who reside in the house. ‘The strongest one is a young girl who thinks we’re her imaginary friends. The name ‘Mary’ is carved into one of the hallway floors in a childlike scrawl, so we’ve named this girl ghost Mary. ‘She follows us around the house laughing,’ says Josh.

Of course, like Brent’s former employer Martha Stewart, life on the Beekman farm is captured on camera for ‘The Fabulous Beekman Boys,’ a reality show now in it’s second season on the Cooking Channel.

‘You’re going to see a lot more of our life on the farm, and possibly a Beekman wedding,’ says Brent.’ Josh wrote about their experiences in his book, ‘The Bucolic Plague: How Two Manhattanites Became Gentleman Farmers, An Unconventional Memoir,’ last year.

Brent wooed Martha Stewart by writing her a letter while she was incarcerated. ‘When I was planning a new center for the care of older adults in my previous life as a physician, I wrote Martha a letter in prison presenting an argument as to why she should be the Center’s benefactor.

That’s how the Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai came to be, and now it’s one of the largest outpatient clinical care centers for older adults in America.’ Stewart later asked Brent to be the Vice President of Healthy Living at her company, Martha Stewart Omnimedia. He accepted, and they’ve remained friends even after his position ended during the recession.

‘Martha the boss is very different from Martha the friend,’ Brent says. ‘She’s an exacting person, and I like that. Ambiguity really is inefficient. I’ve learned two things from her: Make a decision and be confident in it. And when you’re done changing, you are done. Those are words I still live by.’

Josh tells me he’s working on a new book, perhaps another memoir. Last year, the duo published ’The Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook‘ with recipes from their farm. ‘There are so many great autumn flavors,’ says Brent. ‘Right now we’re making butternut squash lasagna rolls, roasted cauliflower soup, and the Company Is Coming Apple Cake.’ Josh also loves the lasagna rolls, ‘They’re so incredibly simple, yet elegant enough for a dinner party.’ Next up is a dessert cookbook, ’1802 Heirloom Desserts,’ due out next October plus a furniture line based on rural life.

On October 27th, the two will sign their cookbook at the Morningside Farmers Market, the only certified organic produce farmers market in Atlanta. When I ask why it’s important for people to shop at a farmers market instead of a grocery store, Brent says, ‘In the midst of such an important election year, we think it’s critical that people vote with their wallets. It may cost you a little more to buy produce and goods at the farmers market, but those dollars are staying in your own community. Those things make a difference.’

Josh points out that ‘besides the obvious health benefits of buying the freshest food, there are also environmental benefits. When you buy a strawberry shipped in from Chile, you’re responsible for the carbon footprint of getting that berry from Chile to your mouth. A farmer’s pickup truck that travels 30 miles from a local farm to the farmer’s market has a much smaller footprint than a tanker ship or a freight plane.’

Later that day, Brent and Josh will demonstrate several of their recipes at the Country Living Fair in Stone Mountain. ‘We’ve had a long partnership with Country Living Magazine,’ says Brent. ‘They’ve been great supporters of Beekman 1802, so we love visiting the fair and meeting with their readers.’ Josh agrees. ‘The people who attend are always incredibly enthusiastic and friendly. We always get a great crowd. And the vendors that set up the booths are probably the best curated we’ve ever seen.’

The Fabulous Beekman Boys appeared at the Country Living Fair last year, and Josh signed his memoir at Outwrite Bookstore in 2006. ‘I love that Atlanta is as current on trends as any American city, but miraculously doesn’t have the stress that comes with trying to stay out in front,’ says Josh. ‘We love meeting the people and eating the food at every place we visit,’ says Brent.

Having just celebrated Atlanta Pride, I ask the two what they’re most proud of. ‘Having tried many things in life that I didn’t necessarily think I would enjoy,’ says Josh. ‘I often didn’t enjoy them. But, I would have enjoyed ‘not trying’ a lot less.

‘The Fabulous Beekman Boys’ was the first reality show in history to focus on a gay couple in a long-term relationship,’ says Brent. ‘So much homophobia exists because of lack of exposure. We are so grateful that our production company, World of Wonder and Discover Communications gave us the opportunity to expose a wide swatch of America to the boring, normal people that we are.’