Koinonia Farm: Nurturing Soil and Souls for Over 75 Years

Nine miles southeast of Plains, Georgia, – home to former President and peanut farmer, Jimmy Carter – lies an inconspicuous little community by the name of Koinonia. 

Koinonia is a Greek word often found in the New Testament referencing a “community” or “communion,” and a community is precisely what this group has been since it was founded by Clarence and Florence Jordan in 1942 as a “demonstration plot for the Kingdom of God.” 

Agriculture Meets Religion

Clarence was raised in rural Georgia prior to earning his degree at the University of Georgia’s College of Agriculture. From there, he attended Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he earned his Ph.D. in Greek New Testament. His agricultural and religious education and experience, combined with firm convictions regarding racial equality and land stewardship, culminated in the establishment of Koinonia Farm, where believers lived life and shared fellowship as an intentional farming community. 

The Jordans partnered with Baptist missionaries Martin and Mabel England to purchase 400 acres of land in rural Sumter County and established Koinonia Farm, where all were welcome and treated equally, regardless of skin color. By the 1950s in the rural South, Koinonia began to face extreme adversity due to their unpopular beliefs. What resulted was a boycotting of their products by local businesses, as well as drive-by shootings and a visit from the KKK during which they were asked to leave the community. 

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Undeterred, Koinonia carried on in its mission to create a community that emphasized the brotherhood and sisterhood of all people. When they were no longer able to sell their products locally, they shifted to a mail-order system to ship peanuts and pecans to loyal supporters all over the United States.

A Shift in Focus

As threats of violence decreased at Koinonia, the focus shifted to providing affordable housing for their neighbors. Jordan, with the help of Millard and Linda Fuller, developed the concept of “partnership housing,” which allowed for those in need of housing to work alongside volunteers to build an affordable house at no profit. Utilizing the concept of partnership housing, volunteers built 192 houses in Sumter County. 

In 1973, Millard and Linda Fuller took the same concept to Zaire, what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. Upon return to the U.S. three years later, they established Habitat for Humanity International. Habitat has received much notoriety over the years thanks in part to President Jimmy Carter’s involvement. The little housing ministry that began right outside Carter’s hometown at Koinonia now exists in all 50 states and more than 70 countries. 

As the emphasis shifted towards building houses, some of the community aspects of the farm were lost as they instead turned toward providing housing and jobs. During this time, the farming component of Koinonia was completely forgotten. After three executive directors in four years and an embezzlement scandal in the ’90s, Koinonia hired Bren Dubay as executive director, and under her leadership, returned the focus to the original Koinonia vision. 

What began as a mail-order system due to boycotts in the ’50s has evolved today into “one heck of an online business,” according to Dubay. Items such as coffee, granola, chocolate and pecan pies are shipped around the country. “We will soon be selling grass-fed beef again and vegetables,” Dubay says. “But now most of what we grow goes into serving our community and guests or into the bakery for value-added products.” There is also a store on site where items can be purchased locally. 

Nurturing Soil and Souls

As a way to carry out their vision statement of love through service to others, Koinonia places an emphasis on using fair trade, organic, natural and sustainably produced ingredients. They strive to ensure their food remains delicious, while also being good for the land, good for those who grow the food, and good for those who eat it. “We focus on growing healthy soil and the rest follows,” Dubay says.

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Influenced by the likes of Joel Salatin and Betsy Ross, the farm would typically be classified as that of regenerative agriculture with a holistic view of the interconnectedness of life. Following this concept, Koinonia uses no pesticides, herbicides or fungicides. The cattle are grass-fed and the chickens and pigs are pasture-raised. Their pecans are also Certified Organic.  

Koinonia currently consists of 575 acres with 132 acres in pecan production, 10 in blueberries, 10 in grapes and 20 acres utilized for a vegetable market garden. 

Given Koinonia’s history of hospitality to all, COVID-19 has certainly slowed down the normal stream of guests. “It’s the first time in our 78 year history we haven’t had guests,” Dubay says. Although the pandemic presents its challenges, hospitality remains one of the main ministries of Koinonia, both on and off the farm. Internship opportunities remain available, with people of all backgrounds and ages learning to live in an intentional farming community. 

As for the future, “We’re trying to nurture people. We want to be continually identifying ways to feed the hungry, both spiritually and physically,” Dubay says, as was intended in 1942 when Koinonia Farm was first established. “We’ll continue to grow healthy food and welcome people.”