New breed of farmers

An inconspicuous drive leads to a chain-link fence —- the back way in to Gaia Gardens, an organic farm nestled onto 20 acres of green space chiseled from its suburban surroundings in Decatur.

Farm manager Rachel Kaplan is dressed in gear that rivals that of the Morton’s seafood dude: high mud boots and weatherproof slicker pants and jacket. It’s May, but rainy weather has prompted Kaplan, originally from Maine, to suit up.

A green tree frog naps inside one of the large plastic bins she uses for harvesting the vegetables grown on 2 1/2 acres of garden space. Another half-acre is planted with blueberry bushes, almost ready for harvest.

Kaplan, 30, has a B.A. in psychology from Grinnell College in Iowa. “It comes in more handy on the farm than you might think,” she says.

With a bright smile, her long dark hair tied back, Kaplan’s face is that of the new Georgia farmer: smart, young, technologically savvy and college educated. Small American farms are dwindling under the weight of competition from larger, industrial farms, and few farms are being passed on to the next generation.

Only about 5 percent of the state’s farmers are under age 35. But a new breed of farmer, armed with a hunger for knowledge and an intrinsic need to give back, is launching an unprecedented rescue operation.

Kaplan leases the land she farms from the East Lake Commons Co-housing Community for $1 a month and is paid with the money made from shares sold from the farm’s Community Supported Agriculture program, along with money made from selling the many veggies the farm produces seasonally —- tomatoes, potatoes, lettuces, kale, collards, herbs, cucumbers and greens such as arugula —- at East Atlanta Village Market.

“I like the level of connection the farm gives me to the weather and the seasons,” Kaplan explains when asked about her decision to become a farmer, taking the helm of Gaia’s stewardship from Daniel Parsons last year. She had farmed at Serenbe Farms in Palmetto, but was inspired by work as a fellow at Adamah, a Jewish retreat center in Connecticut that teaches sustainable farming and animal husbandry.

“I feel a sense of joy and consciousness,” she explains, “and my work is very tangible.”

Love Is Love Farm

Judith Winfrey, 35, and Joe Reynolds, 30, possess the same quiet tenderness Kaplan does. And like her, the partners (“we just call ourselves sweethearts,” says Winfrey) took over a well-established farm, Glover Family Farm in Douglasville, last year. They leased the land from Skip and Cookie Glover, who have retired. The two named their “new” farm Love Is Love.

Winfrey has a degree in applied linguistics from Georgia State, and worked for Georgia Organics before leaving her tidy Grant Park house for the small cabin on the 40 acres of green space she now calls home. She spends time on the Internet updating the farm’s Facebook page, where she updates farm lists and lets the community know about upcoming events at the farm.

Reynolds studied cultural anthropology and sociology at Valdosta State University before moving to Atlanta, eventually working with Nicolas Donck of Crystal Organic Farms in Newnan. His knack is knowing the ins and outs of crop rotation and sustainability, and he approaches each new challenge with relish: This spring’s heavy rainfall destroyed the plot of sweet potatoes the couple planted, but Reynolds just shrugs. “Each new challenge is an opportunity,” he says.

Together, the two work 8 acres of the 50 the Glovers own, farming sweet potatoes, kale, greens, mustard, strawberries, sugar snap peas, lettuces, herbs and others, on land that has been farmed for generations.

“We want to keep this land as farm space,” says Reynolds.

Eight weeks ago, they received 100 Delaware chicks, a rare heritage breed. The eggs will be sold, along with vegetables and fruits, at Peachtree Road Farmers Market and at the local farm stand in front of Star Provisions on the west side, a space they share with another farm, Jenny-Jack Sun Farm in Pine Mountain.

“We’re never going to make a lot of money doing this for a living,” says Winfrey. “But the reward is that what we’re doing aligns with our values.”

As we talk, a swarm of bees from one of 20 or so hives takes flight. “That’s about the 12th swarm this spring,” Reynolds says.

Like these two farmers, they were looking for a new place, and left home to find it.