Love Is Love Cooperative named Newton County Conservationist of the Year 2024

Each year, the Upper Ocmulgee River Soil and Water Conservation District, a board of elected and appointed state officials, recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to protect and enhance local natural resources. This year, the district recognized the efforts of Love Is Love Cooperative LLC.

Love is Love is an organic farm in Mansfield. The farm moved to the current property in 2021 where they quickly got to work turning it into a productive 70 acres that feeds many families in the community. The farm is a co-op owned by five “hardworking” individuals who all bring different things to the operation so they can work productively together. The co-op owners 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 measures through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program. Through this program, they are working to install a water well and pumping system, irrigation line, micro-irrigation systems, irrigation water management, a high tunnel system, cover crops, and conservation covers. These measures will allow them to increase production on new areas of the farm, use more efficient irrigation methods, improve soil health, and extend growing seasons through 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 boxes of fresh produce on a subscription basis, with amounts varying depending on the season.

The CSA allows the farm to implement shared risk between consumer and producer during growing seasons. They are active in the community, hosting plant sales and attending farmers markets to offer plants to consumers to grow themselves. They can be found online at loveislovefarm.com and on Facebook and Instagram under their farm name.