By Stephanie Davis Smith

You can get the story of Serene in a variety of ways. One is by hanging out with the community's organic farmer, Matt Clayton. Each year, the 10-acre certified-organic sustainable farm he tills provides 60,000 pounds of produce for Saturday markets and Community Supported Agriculture boxes delivered to residents, as well as restaurants both on property and in nearby Atlanta. Get Clayton, or his wife, Kali, on the topic of miniature heirloom tomatoes and winter squash--all grown without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers and chemicals--and you'll quickly understand why Serenbe Farms (serenbefarms.com) is at the center of life in this upscale new urbanist village.