One of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was a pause in the world’s routines, giving people an opportunity to step back and take account of how they were living. For many, there was a new appreciation for open spaces, for engagement with the environment and collaboration with other people — and a desire to pursue a healthier lifestyle, largely supported by a more nutritious diet.
In short, something that harkened back to a simpler — some would say wiser — time.
And in the fertile soil of this new realization an idea took root: a project unlike any other, a community where residents could be true neighbors while directly benefiting from the best of what nature has to offer.
It was an idea that grew out of the long-held, and complementary, interests of two business partners — Doug Davis and Jeff Meyer — that needed only the right elements to bring it to fruition.
Now, four years after the men first converged on the idea that people wanted to better understand where their food came from, The Farm at Okefenokee has become a reality.
In harmony with nature
The Farm at Okefenokee is “a regenerative farming residential community and resort that offers sustainably built, luxury cabins amid expansive gardens and green spaces,” according to its website. It sits on 1,000 acres of land — 705 acres owned by the development and another 300 leased.
As its name implies, it is located just outside the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge near Folkston, Georgia, about 60 miles north of Jacksonville.
This factor alone has its appeal.
“It’s one of the darkest skies in the United States,” said Davis. “Some of the freshest air in the United States. And you’re close enough to town if you want to go in and grab something. But you’re far enough away to where you’re not impacted.”
He described the environment as serene.
“You’re detoxing from the pollution, whether it’s visual or air pollution or noise pollution,” he added. “You’re detoxing from all these things, and you’re engaged in this atmosphere where you’re rejuvenating your mind, your body and your spirit.”
Beyond that, the property allows crops to be grown all year round. It’s not in a flood zone and drainage is good.
The idea of regenerative agriculture is using animals and natural cycles, such as rotation of crops, to improve soil health. The Farm at Okefenokee mimics the kinds of natural processes that produced the rich conditions of the Great Plains. Using cattle, chickens and pigs in this system is essential.
What The Farm at Okefenokee does not use is fertilizers and pesticides.
“What we’re basically doing is, year over year, season over season, we’re increasing the nutrient levels, the diversity, the biology of the soil such that we grow the most nutrient-dense vegetables, fruits, flowers known to man,” said Davis.
This regenerative farming forms the backbone of the community.
“The concept is that we harvest all of these agricultural products, and they become the basis of a diet for the owners and the members of The Farm at Okefenokee,” said Davis.
He contrasted this focus with other communities built around golf courses or other amenities. At The Farm at Okefenokee, it’s the farm that is the central and most important focus.
“We grow everything on the farm that you need to live,” Davis said. “It’s completely self-sustainable. The only thing you’ll have to purchase is salt. We don’t mine salt. Everything else, we completely do on the farm.”
He added that nothing goes to waste and that the community only uses what it needs. It also places great emphasis on local sources.
“We use local talent, so all of our people are from the greater Folkson/Hilliard area,” Davis said. “We use local materials. We buy everything that we can in the immediate area of the farm.”
That means not having to transport materials in.
“We have a very small environmental footprint,” Davis said.
Life on the Farm
The homesites are arranged in small villages of between 25 and 50. The first of these villages, The Standing Gardens, is complete and sold out. The second, The Olive Orchard, is being sold now. Those cabins will be built amid a mature 90-acre olive orchard.
“You can wake up in the morning and you can look out your front or your back or your windows and see nothing but olives all around,” said Davis. “It’s like living in Tuscany, Italy.”
When built out, The Farm at Okefenokee will consist of 250 homes, or cabins as they are officially called, about one for every four acres of the property. Homeowners will also be co-owners in the Farm.
“The reason we organized the cabins into these small villages is because we want to create opportunities for people not just to be able to harvest their own food, live off the land, engage in nature, but we also want to create opportunities for them to engage with one another,” Davis explained.
Residents will find this facilitates their meeting, and perhaps visiting with, their neighbors. In fact, the cabins are organized so that the front porches face the common areas.
“We’re trying to break the normality of folks driving their cars into the garage, closing the garage, getting in the house, staying inside and spending the rest of their evening there,” said Davis.
To better effect this, The Farm at Okefenokee doesn’t allow automobiles. Everything is accessed by electric golf cart, walking or cycling.
At the same time, there is a great effort to enhance the authentic feel of the property.
“Rather than doing a concrete swimming pool, we want to have it authentic to a farming experience from 100 years ago,” Davis said. “So, we have a naturally spring-fed swimming hole where you can swim.”
In addition, the roads are made of gravel, similar to a true farm road in the country.
While some residents will live at The Farm full time, others will use their cabins as vacation homes or second homes.
One thing prospective residents want to know is how much actual farming they will have to do. The answer is simple: as little and as much as they want.
“There’s no work obligation,” Davis said. “You simply come and you enjoy the programming, all the fruits and vegetables, the experiences.”
There is a full-time staff of about 20 to 25 that takes care of the farm. Monthly dues paid by the owners pays for everything.
But, of course, that doesn’t mean the agriculturally inclined must stand on the sidelines.
“We have some people that are very active and very engaged and want to get their hands dirty,” Davis said. “And we have many others who simply want to receive the benefits of being on the farm, go out and pick their tomatoes or pick their blueberries. They want to cook those in their cabins and they don’t necessarily want to pull weeds or feed the pigs.”
A working model
The Farm at Okefenokee is structured in a way that meets the public’s desire to live off the land without the hardship that traditionally comes with that.
People sometimes purchase property to start their own farms, but not having any real-world experience discover that it is tremendously expensive to acquire the necessary equipment and it is time-consuming. Vacations are out. Owners can’t even go away for the weekend, because animals need fed.
“All of these things sound romantic in theory, but in practicality, it’s overwhelming,” Davis said. “A lot of people will end up abandoning it just because it becomes way more than they can handle.”
The Farm at Okefenokee, instead, pools the resources and commitment of the owners to create a community farm for which no one person has to bear the expense and the responsibilities.
Animals and plants
All of the fruits and vegetables grown at The Farm at Okefenokee are non-GMO and are heirloom variety.
“Everything we grow here starts as a seed,” Davis said.
Plants are started in a 5,000-square-foot greenhouse, are repotted and planted in the appropriate season.
“We’re planning months, and maybe even a year, in advance,” Davis said.
In addition, all of the animals are heritage breed animals.
An example is the Meishan pig, which The Farm uses. Because it has a split hoof, it cannot survive on concrete and is therefore not used in the industrial food chain. But The Farm’s pigs live in the pastures, in paddocks.
“They have a happy and healthy life,” Davis said. “We’re perpetuating that species the way that it was meant to be raised and used.”
The animals are an essential component of regenerative agriculture, but The Farm also raises them as a source for its meat and poultry.
“As it’s important to know where your vegetables and fruit come from, it’s important to know where your meat comes from,” said Davis.
Before The Farm
Meyer actually purchased the land upon which The Farm at Okefenokee sits about 20 years ago, long before the idea for the community existed.
His background is in alterative energies and agriculture. He had previously worked with Davis on an unrelated project.
Davis’s background is in engineering, construction and real estate development. He describes himself as a conservation-based developer because, where others develop projects with an eye to its number of units or size, he develops with nature rather than against it.
The Farm at Okefenokee might be called the ultimate expression of that philosophy.
From Jacksonville originally, Davis now resides in the Palencia community.
“I tell people I grew up in the woods and in the water, basically,” he said. “I love to hunt, fish, surf. My passions are around cooking, art, my family and my faith. Everything that I do is involved in that sphere.”
The two co-founders of The Farm at Okefenokee discovered that they shared a skill set necessary to complement one another and achieve this dream.
“We’re both proud of it, and we love it and we want to share it with other people,” Davis said.
Sharing it
A couple of times a week, The Farm at Okefenokee operates a mule-riding farm tour for the general public. A large wagon is pulled by mules and a muleskinner tells guests about the farm.
“It’s so much fun,” Davis said. “It lasts anywhere from two to three hours. It’s a huge hit with kids and adults alike.”
Visitors get to see the animals and learn about regenerative agriculture.
In addition, Davis and Meyer are planning to start a discovery program for people interested in possibly becoming co-owners in The Farm. They actually stay on the property in one of the cabins to experience life there.
What’s next
The Farm is in the process of converting a large pavilion into a commercial kitchen, where chefs will visit to teach residents how to preserve the fruits and vegetables grown there and cook with ingredients with which people may be unfamiliar.
Eventually, there will also be a farm-to-table restaurant, as well.
Anyone interested in learning more about The Farm at Okefenokee or wanting to schedule a tour can go to www.okefarm.com.
