Located roughly 25 miles southwest of Atlanta in a region known as Chattahoochee Hill Country, the Serenbe community features a certified organic farm and a dedication to fresh food and well-being.

The idea originated with founders Steve Nygren and Marie Lupo Nygren after a weekend outing to the Georgia countryside with their three daughters in 1991. With the community’s first house build in 2004, Serenbe is now home to over 1,000 residents and includes a 25-acre organic farm, 27-room inn, wellness spa, seasonal Saturday farmers markets, independent shops, a Community Supported Agriculture program and edible landscaping along the paths and sidewalks.

There are also five farm-to-table restaurants, farm tours, goat yoga and trail riding, all part of an immersive rural experience for residents and visitors.

Produce from the organic farm is sourced to the five on-site restaurants, marketed through its Community Supported Agriculture program and sold at the farmers market.

• Community Supported Agriculture program members can participate in organic farm shares every week. Others can purchase produce from April through October at the Serenbe Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. From October to April, there’s a farmstand from which to purchase produce.
• The farms supply vegetables to the Serenbe restaurants — including Halsa, The Farmhouse, The Hill, and Austin’s — and are members of Georgia Organics.
• Serenbe Farms has produced over 300 varieties of heirloom and hybrid vegetables, herbs and flowers, and it harvests over 60,000 pounds of produce a year. The community says it is one of only 103 certified organic farms in Georgia.
• Volunteers will sow seeds in the greenhouse and fields, help with weeding and often help with harvesting, sorting and packing produce.

The Packer spoke with Serenbe’s farm manager, Garver Akers, to learn more about the gardens.

The Packer: Can you provide an overview of the 25 acres of organic gardens? What types of crops are grown, and how are they selected?

Akers: We currently have 1.5 acres in vegetable production along with two blackberry patches and several fruit trees. Much of this production takes place in our two high tunnels, which are essentially tall, passive greenhouses that allow us to grow into an extended season, despite inclement weather.

We also have a propagation greenhouse for seedling production and several perennial gardens that support pollinator plants and insect populations.

Because we are a market-scale farm, we grow dozens of different vegetables, fruits and flowers throughout the year. Crops are selected for flavor and reputable attributes for growing in a commercial production setting.

How does the farm maintain its organic certification, and what practices are in place to ensure soil health and sustainability?

Organic certification is regulated by the USDA under the requirements of the National Organic Program, which informs us of what practices and materials we are permitted to carry out and use. Our certification is directly overseen by a third-party agency that inspects our farm, facilities and records annually.

We are currently transitioning our practices into a biologically driven, minimal-tillage system, with sustainable practices that exceed those required by the organic standards. This is a work in progress, as I only took over management of the farm this year. I have spent the last eight months evaluating the soil and systems to learn how to make and apply these changes.

Now we are developing new strategies for best practices, as well as expanding our production space to 10 acres or more in the next few years. At the core of our program, in terms of soil health and building, we will begin applications of oxygenated earthworm casting tea as soon as we install a new well on the farm in September.

In the past, I have used earthworm-casting teas with great success in farming, and challenging industrial soil bioremediation projects. Foliar and direct applications of this substance, married with other fertility inputs and careful practices, provide the best possible results when it comes to true, regenerative soil health.

What are some of the key challenges and successes the farm has experienced?

This is one of Georgia’s first 100 certified organic farms! Under new management, our greatest challenge is the transition to new and better practices that will ensure perpetual soil health and larger-scale plant production. So far this year, we have revitalized an old fig grove to a wonderfully productive state and are renewing infrastructure and more.

What are the farm’s main products, and are there any unique or standout items?

We are beginning to identify our best performers within our assortment of produce. Striata d’Italia is a zucchini with a flavor and quality far better than common varieties. We get the seed directly from an Italian importer who also supplies us with a rich flavored, ruffled basil that grows soft leaves up to eight inches wide. Sashimi is a fantastic Japanese gourmet cucumber we have just tried out and has been this year’s market favorite. And, we’ve had abundant, delicious yields of mulberries from spring into summer.

What’s your favorite produce grown on the farm?

Peppers are generally my favorite crop to grow, and this year we have introduced Hungarian bell peppers to the farm. And the Sashimi cucumbers have offered the tastiest hydration solution on the hottest days. Also, I am excited about the new Hot Streak tomato we grew this year. It is amazing to find a tomato that embodies heat tolerance, disease resistance, great flavor and with beautiful red, orange and yellow streaked skin, all in one fruit!

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