Jacksonville, Florida Developers Launch Okefenokee Farming Community

FOLKSTON, GEORGIA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, August 3, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- The Farm at Okefenokee, an ambitious new endeavor to provide a regenerative agri-community just north of Jacksonville, Fla., just released its first homesites to the market. Among many other features, The Farm will provide natural sources of sustenance for those seeking something better than the country’s highly processed, industrialized food system.

Unlike other agri-developments, which typically have homes with a community garden and a few shared amenities, The Farm is a sprawling 705-acre expanse of productive farmland, adjoining the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Nestled across the property are 250 residential cabins, arranged into small hamlets. This organization fosters a sense of community and tranquility, blending the comforts of modern living with the surrounding natural beauty.

Located just outside of Folkson, Ga., The Farm will comprise extensive agricultural operations as well as education and experiential opportunities for residents and visitors alike. This live-farm-recreate community, with sustainability and self-sufficiency at its core, is the work of two Jacksonville-based conservationists and developers: Jeff Meyer and Douglas Davis.

“The Farm at Okefenokee is a thoughtfully developing ecosystem that will require an intentional balance of its interconnected factors,” said Meyer. “For a lot of people, it represents an entire new way of living, one that’s resonating with more and more individuals who want to have a deliberate hand in how and what they eat. We recognize that it’s not for everyone, but for those who want to give farm-to-fork living a try, there’s no better place. You essentially can reap all the benefits of living on a farm, without all of the farm chores.”

The new community is being developed in phases, with the first stage including two model homes, the build out of the ‘Standing Garden’ (first 24 lots), a sawmill and several gathering spaces: a welcome center, a clubhouse with a commercial kitchen, a recreational pond and a 10-acre dog park. Future development phases will encompass more cabins, a chapel, a greenhouse, lodging facilities, expansive hunting grounds, and further expanses of pastures and orchards. Additionally, the plan includes a general store, a lodge, and a restaurant, bringing a touch of old-time charm to The Farm's evolving landscape.

The Farm emphasizes a country lifestyle with easy access to world-class kayaking, nature trails, fishing and canoeing. It also will boast its own water supply and electricity, and residents will travel by way of electric carts. Cabins feature the latest in sustainable design, built using recycled lumber and nearby Cypress trees.

Both Meyer and Davis sense that many people have an unquenched thirst for wholeness, like a subtle feeling that something is missing. “It’s like we sense it in our periphery but we’re unable to identify it,” said Davis. “The Farm answers the call to that longing by tapping into something deep, restoring our interconnectedness and balance through authentic regenerative farm living steeped in recreation, education and community. Not only is nature the backdrop, but living in nature and among friends is ‘the thing’ that fulfills us.”

Residents will have the opportunity to learn and participate in regenerative farming that improves soil health, increases biodiversity, balances the surrounding environment, and cultivates amazing harvests. The Farm residents will coexist with wildlife as well as the numerous farm animals, sharing in the bounty of nutrient-rich produce cultivated from heirloom seeds right outside their door. Crops include more than 120 different fruits and vegetables as well as olive, mayhaw and pecan orchards, sugar cane, spices, rice beds, and much more.The Farm and its 250 crop varieties are managed by full-time farmers so that residents can participate in the planting, growing, harvesting and maintenance of the produce and livestock as much (or as little) as they wish.

Whether people are new to farming, dream of nature-first living, or have participated in large-scale farming practices for decades, The Farm at Okefenokee has a place for everyone. A living/learning lab, adults and children will gain knowledge and personal growth at The Farm. Through our onsite farming experts, access to recreation on the land, the water, and the adjacent Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge, it represents opportunities for knowledge seekers and adventurers every day.

For more information, visit okefarm.com/welcome. For media, contact [email protected].

Lisa Luther
The Farm at Okefenokee
[email protected]
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