Back to the farm: Meet Jenny & Chris Jackson

Nestled just outside of Pine Mountain in Southwest Georgia, on short White Cemetery Road lies the quaint, four acre, Jenny Jack Sun Farm. On Wednesday the barn at the front of the property bustles with activity as people from the community drop by for fresh produce grown without the aid of pesticides. The farmers are UGA alumni Jenny and Chris Jackson. Jenny and Chris both served on the leadership team of Baptist Collegiate Ministries while in college.

According to Chris, Jenny is the brains behind the operation; he is the brawn. While Chris was obtaining an education degree at UGA, Jenny studied agriculture. She grew up on a farm, helping her dad with the endless chores while falling in love with the process of food production. In school she became enamored with the idea of sustainable farming. After graduating she and Chris moved back to Pine Mountain where she went to work in Mr. Cason's Garden at Calloway Gardens and Chris taught and coached at a nearby high school. After a year they decided to broaden their agricultural experience and moved to Hawaii as interns for two different farmers. They brought back deep tans and enough practical knowledge to begin their own small business. Conveniently, Jenny's dad offered her a portion of his property for their venture. He was nearing retirement and was thrilled to give Jenny and Chris a spot to carry on the family business.

Chris loves the work. Though days are long and sometimes the tasks monotonous Chris has found solace in contemplation. He says weeding rows of beans can be therapeutic. He has learned to allow the land to determine his daily schedule. When it rains he and the crew work in the barn, cleaning, organizing, preparing farm implements or gearing up for the farm markets. Like a younger version of Wendell Berry, Chris is also a writer who desires for Americans to slow down and notice where their food comes from. Chris composes weekly newsletters for the farm, eloquently describing the various chores that are being accomplished (complete with pictures of the crew at work) as well as giving a preview of the available harvest for sale at the on-farm-market and at local weekend markets. In an early winter newsletter Chris wrote,

"It seems a little early to think on strawberries. They’re a springtime treasure; a classic southern favorite, rewarding our steady diet of winter soups, canned tomatoes and sweet potatoes prepared every way possible. Come May they present themselves sweet and juicy, tasting perfect raw and right now without any process or rinse. Strawberries are the year’s first straight from the garden dessert, their deep red coat seems exotic and fascinating, unreal compared to the neutrality of static winter. The first one is a handshake, an open door, an anticipated introduction to warmth and intrepid flavor and a time of year full of pure goodness. How appropriate we celebrate this delicacy in the Spring, but the time to begin preparing for those satiated moments is now. This afternoon while I was steadily constructing a fence, Max, Molly, and Courteney were planting the 1500 strawberry plugs that arrived from South Carolina yesterday."

Farming has deepened Chris's Christian faith. The work in the middle of nature has given him opportunities each day to ponder God's goodness and God's creation. It has helped him let go of past ideas of satisfaction and given him a deep appreciation for simple things. Chris is an avid reader and deep thinker. He has introduced me to several authors who have become my new favorites. Two writers that have inspired him the most are Richard Rohr (Everything Belongs) and Wendell Berry (Jayber Crow, and others).

Like poet/farmer Wendell Berry, moving away from the city and learning to live in a small town has given Chris a greater appreciation for all people. Chris believes that everyone has something they can teach him; everyone is special and deserves to be respected and treated with importance. Our urban and suburban culture has not only disconnected us from the land and our source of food (most people don't even think about where the food they purchase at big box grocery stores was grown), it has also removed us from the many relationships that small town, agrarian life demands. Chris says he has learned more about Jesus' teachings about loving your neighbors and enemies since moving to the farm. He told story after story of the amazing people he has met while living in Pine Mountain. Some he knows he would have discounted as annoying in his previous life. But he says getting to know people below the surface has shown Chris that everyone is not only worth knowing, but everyone has experiences and knowledge that can enrich his life and work.

The couple loves small town life. They are involved a local church that is within walking distance from the farm. They also love monthly pot-luck dinners at the community center in Pine Mountain where they get to meet their neighbors around the table. Each dinner also features a presentation and discussion. Chris has made presentations on sustainable farming practices and on books he has read. Each time he participates his relationships with his neighbors is deepened, his mind is expanded, and his life is made more full.

Food has become much more important to Chris. He has always enjoyed eating, but being involved with agriculture has given the many Biblical passages about food new meaning. The simple act of dining with someone can be spiritual - enjoying the communion of fellowship over a meal can be a holy experience. Each summer Jenny and Chris partner with a local chef to host farm dinners. People drive hours to attend these communal events on the farm. Each dinner features food grown onsite and is served at one long table where everyone is seated together, family style. Watching diners share a laugh, get to know new people, all while eating amazing food and hearing about how it was grown gives Chris a deep sense of pride and satisfaction.

Chris and Jenny have also partnered with a local ministry that seeks to give former migrant workers a since of belonging while helping them feed their families. Reserving a portion of their land for the ministry, Chris assists folks with the process of growing and harvesting their own food. He gets a deep sense of satisfaction watching folks become more independent while learning more healthy eating habits.

You can find their produce at the on-farm market (707 White Cemetery Road, Pine Mountain, GA 31822) and at weekend markets in LaGrange and Columbus. They can be contacted at jennyjackfarm@gmail.com or 706-333-4479. This summer I encourage you to get some of their heirloom tomatoes - the best I've ever eaten!