Rising Fawn Gardens

At Rising Fawn Gardens, we are stewards of nature who are devoted to protecting the land, farming sustainably, and building an enduring community that fosters education and wellness. Through the years, we have poured our hearts and our passions into Rising Fawn Gardens. As our family has multiplied, so have the memories we have created as we have worked together to care for this land. We’ve uncovered roads, cleared trails, built a formal trail system, and created fields for growing. In 2013, a bridge over Lookout Creek was built, bringing to a close the days of crossing the creek in a truck. The bridge was truly a bridge, allowing us to not only access the farm on any given day, but also creating the possibility of opening the farm to a larger community. The intensive bridge-building project paved the way for the building of the Retreat House in 2016. During this time of building basic infrastructure, we learned so much about ourselves  and the land. It was a time of complementary learning and mutual caretaking. During the last decade, it has been an honor to share the land with the community through retreats, workshops, and Farm & Forest Days. In recent years, our passion for plants and medicine led to the creation of the Medicinal Garden and we’ve found our niche in growing turmeric, ginger and other medicinal plants. Each plant was carefully sourced-grown from seed, purchased locally, or transplanted from our woods-and added to complement our fields of grains, orchards, and seasonal vegetables. Protecting the land while educating, nurturing, and bringing communities together. We work to protect this land not only because it is home to many rare and endangered species, but also to ensure the health of these ecosystems for years to come. We believe fostering local communities is part of human health and focus our efforts on providing a healing educational environment for people on the land that allows oneself to be close to nature and others. We focus on wellness for the people and the planet, intentionally creating gathering places close to nature. While we farm the land and responsibly share it with the community, we are also focused on protecting it as a home for wildlife. In 2017, as a part of our commitment to stewardship, the land was placed in a conservation easement with the GA/AL Land Trust for its perpetual protection. Our mission at Rising Fawn Gardens is to preserve the land and wildlife for future generations, to seek and share knowledge about nature, and to bring communities together to build connections with one another. Karen stewards the land as owner overseeing the Retreat House Venue and the Medicinal Garden. Karen completed the Essentials of Herbalism Study with the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine in 2016. She’s also completed several Mindful School courses including Mindfulness Fundamentals and Mindful Educator Essentials. She is a certified yoga instructor and former school teacher. Her passion and talent for teaching makes sharing plant knowledge and nature-based wellness come naturally To Karen, Rising Fawn Gardens is an invaluable gift to her family and the community. She and Steve share the understanding that in taking care of the land, the land takes care of us. Steve stewards the land as owner overseeing the property while managing the  forest,  game and wildlife habitats. A gardener at heart, Steve has spent a lifetime learning from Mother Nature firsthand through trial and error. His passion is planting trees and over the years, he has planted Pecans,  Paw Paws,   and a thriving fruit orchard of blueberry bushes and apple trees. Steve’s lifelong experience of being in and appreciating the great outdoors has shaped his desire to be a protector of the land and the abundant resources associated with it. He is forever grateful for the daily opportunity to explore the property, commune with nature and reflect on life. Joseph joined the RFG team officially in January of 2024 as th