MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — Jon Jackson may be founder of Comfort Farms, but he's not the boss.
“Mother nature is in control and it helps us to adjust to that,” Jackson laughed.
So, when the land Jackson bought in 2016 was full of red clay and sand, he let her take care of it.
“I needed to regenerate all of the inputs that we would need on our farm,” he explained. “The only way I could do that is have a symbiotic relationship with livestock and our plants."
Sectioning his land into paddocks, his livestock of chickens, sheep and pigs live in each space for a time.
“They eat the grass, they put their manure in the place. That manure then creates the bacteria for our pastures that's needed, and then we go ahead and compost those. Every year, that just seeps into the soil,” Jackson said.
Even the animals' bones burned and turned into ash have helped create beautiful soil, the plants they sell in just 18 months.
This method has kept the soil that way too.
“We’ve found with these indigenous techniques– the feeding of the soil can last up to 10,000 years. We utilize what we have and put it right back into the ground,” Jackson said. “We don’t use roundup, or any type of herbicide or pesticide on this property.”
Jackson says even the plants add to the conservation efforts on the farm.
“The seeds that we save from here are designed for this specific area, to work with clay-soil, to work with these cold snaps that we have. Those plants are genetically-engineered properly by being able to grow deeper roots, break through that sand, break through that clay and get the nutrients from the ground,” he said.
Now, the Georgia Association of Conservation districts named Jackson their conservationist of the year.
“You know, when I started this, I never intended to be recognized for anything with the exception that if I take care of it, it'll take care of me,” he said.
That’s because Jackson and veterans like him needed the care.
Comfort Farms aims to help veterans in crisis, like those suffering from PTSD. They work here to transition back into civilian life.
“This farm is built off of anxiety and depression. Vets who are going through problems, community members who are going through problems pour their soul into this. Do something positive."
The goal is to feed people and their souls.
Let mother nature take control when veterans may feel like they're losing theirs.
‘That's all the validation that I need is through our plants, and through our livestock, and most importantly, how we cultivate our people,” he said.
Jackson says most of their funding comes from the public buying their products.