No two farms are the same. Even if they grow the same fruits and vegetables two farms can operate fairly differently. Usually the goals of the farm’s managers determine the structure of the farm. All four of the farms we got to work on were for profit and participated in farm to consumer markets.

On a typical day at Elm Street Gardens we assisted Jess and Josh by removing weeds from beds, placing compost on beds, raking beds, seeding a new crop, harvesting a crop, or prepping produce for market.

We also did these tasks on other farms. As a group we always had fun and learned a lot on Forest Grove Farm.

Located in the historic city of Sandersville, Georgia Forest Grove Farm is one of a kind.

Forest Grove Farm: The Visionaries

Forest Grove Farm is managed by Chris Horacek and Katie Doe Putkowski. The landowner Lyle Lansdell inherited the land from her family who have owned the land for five generations. The farm produces lamb meat, eggs, fruits and vegetables. The young couple, Chris and Katie Doe began working and living on the farm last year in the fall. Confronted with the task of reviving the mostly abandoned garden this spunky innovative team approached the challenge head on.

Here’s a poem I jotted not long after meeting them:

6/6/16
Soggy Pages
There is romance in the air
There is romance in this day of the week
There is even romance in the soil
There is romance in my heart
Music is louder here
Calling
Did somebody say my name?
Something is calling
Calling in the distance
Does the dirt call out to me?
Must be the heat
It must just be the heat
The rain drips more slowly here
While, burning in the back of my mind is a question:
What will I do?
What shall I become?
What ought I to become?
I am surrounded by becoming here
It is so romantic
Purpose
Springs from the earth
And penetrates my soul
Anxiety stirs in my gut
I am content here
Can I stay?

I want to tell you about Katie Doe
About her sing-song face and name
All bounce
All blonde
All her own
With dreams greater than can be seen
Dreams that must be felt
Sweet
Strong Christopher
The image of youth
Eyes teeming with goodness
An aura of unrelenting will surrounds them both
Patience rests upon his brow
I see ownership
And hear the sound of their future children giggle
While we work the soil together
They inspire me to breathe
Please mama,

I don't want to leave

Forest Grove Farm: The Vision

Their goal is to feed people. Although they don’t want to be farmers forever the two are determined to help Lyle revive the farm and provide nutritious food to their community. Which is why Katie Doe has teamed up with another group of farmers for a Middle Georgia Grower’s Co-op.

While on the farm we helped them remove weeds, mulch beds, and herd their sheep.

Forest Grove Farm: The Challenge

Although all of the farms we visited were all in the same state and within a hundred miles of one another, their soil’s composition differs. Forest Grove is challenged with a sandy soil composition which makes it more difficult for nutrients on the surface of the soil to penetrate the soil so the nutrients will be washed away in any rainfall.

Thank you so much Lyle, Katie Doe, and Chris for sharing your dream with a bunch of city-girls turned #Farmers.

Please look out for another article next week that will highlight the practices of Rag & Frass Farm, Babe & Sage Farm, or tell the history of Sparta GA.