ATHENS, Ga. — A nearly 50-acre farm near Athens will be “protected forever” and help strengthen the local food supply after a recent actions taken to keep the land for farming.
The Conservation Fund and Athens Land Trust announced the Woodland Gardens Organic Farm, described as “a beloved farm that has long helped feed the Athens region,” would remain a farm thanks to new conservation easements and protection from development.
“Local farms like Woodland Gardens are essential to what makes Athens a great place to live,” Joe Barbaree from Athens Land Trust said in a statement. “They are the cornerstone of our food system, support local jobs and give people a direct connection to where their food comes from.”
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The organizations said with their latest action, the 48-acre farm is “permanently safeguarded, ensuring it will continue providing fresh, local food for generations to come.”
Woodland Gardens is known for its supplying of the local food system in Athens, including residents, markets and restaurants.
Through their partnership with the Athens Land Trust, the Conservation Fund said Woodland Gardens was the second farm in the area that was now under their protection.
“This is about more than saving one farm — it’s about protecting a way of life that communities depend on,” Justin Nickelson from The Conservation Fund said. “Farms like Woodland Gardens provide fresh food, support local jobs and connect people to the land. Protecting them ensures those benefits continue for our children and their children.”
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