Each year, the Upper Ocmulgee River Soil and Water Conservation District, a board made of up elected and appointed State officials, recognizes individuals who have gone above any beyond in their efforts to protect and enhance local natural resources. This year, the District acknowledged the efforts of Love Is Love Cooperative LLC.
Love is Love is an organic operation in Mansfield and the farm moved onto the current property in 2021 where they got to work quickly to turn it into a productive 70 acres that feeds many families in the community. The farm is a cooperative owned by five "hardworking" individuals that all bring different things into the operation, allowing them to work productively together. The owners of the cooperative are Joe Reynolds, Judith Winfrey, Demetrius Milling, Russell Honderd and Monica Ponce.
They are constantly looking for ways to expand and improve their operation. The farm is currently working with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to implement conservation practices through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. With this program, they are working to install a Water Well and Pumping Plant, Irrigation Pipeline, Micro irrigation systems, Irrigation water management, a high tunnel system, cover crops and conservation cover. These practices will allow them to increase production on new areas of the farm, have more efficient watering practices, improve soil health and extend growing seasons with the use of the high tunnel system.
Love is Love has a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program that allows consumers and small businesses to receive subscription-based boxes of fresh produce, which varies depending on the time of year.
The CSA allows the farm to implement a shared risk between the consumer and the producer for the growing seasons. They are active in the community hosting plant sales and attending farmers markets to provide the consumer with plants to grow themselves. They can be found on the web at loveislovefarm.com, and on Facebook and Instagram under their farm name.
