The RARE Farm
About
The RARE Farm will be located on the grounds of the Rabun Gap Nacoochee School (RGNS) in Rabun Gap, GA. RGNS was founded in 1903 to serve as an educational institution for local farmers, and continues that legacy of giving back by providing numerous scholarships & financial aid packages to students in the community, and from around the world.
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The RARE Farm will provide dozens of agricultural, sustainability and self-sufficiency educational activities, examples & opportunities to RGNS students, local community Youth groups, out community members, regional farmers, and the general public. The Farm will be open to the public on weekends for 7-9 months per year. The Farm will additionally serve to represent our community's local heritage, be a beautiful gathering space for residents and farmers to utilize, gather data about the multiple effects different non-chemical annual agricultural methods produce, and emphasize the importance for this country to support independent, local food producers.
RARE has an actionable plan to help food producers and consumers look forward to a healthier and more sustainable future. The RARE Farm will allow people to learn about the practices that keep our earth, plants and animals thriving. We believe in growing our community, feeding people actual (nutrient-dense) food, and fighting the good fight to protect all God's creatures.
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The RARE Farm is currently in it's initial phases of development and will begin the first phases of installation this upcoming Fall 2023. At the moment we are planning, estimating, identifying contractors, and networking, as well building the foundation of RARE's Farmer Support Activities.
If you would like to help us or get involved with the RARE Farm, please email us.
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The Farm Layout & Goals
Farm Site Layout
The RARE Farm will host five different sites; (Site 1) an annual vegetable research farm, (Site 2) A Farm Obstacle Course, Playground & Event Space, (Site 3) Examples different methods of sustainable food production, (Site 4) Integrating Livestock with Vegetable & Fruit Production, (Site 5) A Temperate Climate, Perennial Food Forest.
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RARE Farm Goals
We will promote local regenerative & sustainable, independent food producers, as well as independent craftsmen & artisans from our region. We hope to educate young people and the general public about chemical-free food production & holistic animal management practices, provide a space for communal celebration and learning, promote and support our local food producers using the resources we gather on the RARE Farm, and gather data on a annual vegetable research farm comparing four different practices in sustainable agriculture. Our last two goals are a (1) setting up a 'Paddock Paradise' system for a horse, and (2) making and selling burritos, using the some of the food ingredients that we will grow on the Farm. Everybody loves burritos!
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The Vision
The RARE Farm will be based on permaculture & sustainability techniques, and incorporate mainly perennial plants (fruit trees, berry shrubs, asparagus, many unknown Zone 7 edible perennial species, etc...) in low maintenance, water-conserving, intelligently-designed systems. We will be using principles from Biodynamics, Holistic Animal Management, Joel Salitan techniques, Food Forestry, and almost every other agricultural method that utilizes principles of regenerative agriculture.
There is too much to mention about the RARE Farm plans to list here, but we will be posting updates on this website once we commence our initial operations in late 2023, and/or early 2024. The pictures (to the right) give a glimpse of what the RARE Farm has in store...
