Buy From Friends (B.F.F.) is the rebirth of a retired, 19th century tenement estate located in the Oconee River Creek Indian territory of Milledgeville, GA. The land is divided into a working, 40+ acre pine forest and a 1-acre tract set aside for the development of a self-sustaining organic produce farm.
During the pandemic in 2020, the seeds for the Buy From Friends (B.F.F.) vision were planted by father and son team Steve and Stephen Holsenbeck. With drafting paper and mechanical pencils, the two conceived a blueprint for raised garden beds, built from leftover barn wood and tin roof panels of the land’s original, multi-generation farmhouse where Steve was raised as a young boy. From there, more grafting pages were filled with more D.I.Y. designs; composting bins, a bat house, water-catchment barrels, a fruit/vegetable sun-dryer, and a 11-by-20-foot greenhouse which one year later doubled in size.
Every step of B.F.F.’s growth has been taken with deep thought and consideration for the health and history of its land. Each infrastructure design has been and will continue to be built from sustainable, up and recycled materials to the greatest to minimize environmental impact to the greatest extent possible. And, whether it be converting a traditional garden bed into a self-irrigating wicking bed or figuring out how to affix new tires to an antique Radio Flyer wagon — every project has been achieved through grit, trial-and-error, tons of YouTube videos, and the inherited instincts of many centuries of farming ancestors.
In the three years since its conception, B.F.F. has grown physically and personally, with Stephen’s partner Nicole moving onto the property, along with a steady rotation of hired helping hands to foster its expansion and success. Our collective research into which plant and fruit species are best suited for our soil and climate have supported the seasonal cultivation of a wide range of crops, (with varying success) including:
Eggplant, tomatoes, yellow squash, cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, green onions, garlic chives, kale, collards, cabbage, lettuce, watermelon, cantaloupe, and various herbs basil, turmeric, dandelion, honeysuckle, dog fennel, mint.
The property also includes a small fruit orchard with varietals of pear, plum, blackberries and fig trees as well as many varieties of blueberry.
With the surplus harvests, B.F.F. has been able to produce home-made jellies, jams, chutneys, and (our personal favorite) fresh fruit and herb popsicles — in addition to Nicole’s hand-made greeting cards and original print photography. We’re fortunate to contribute our artisanal goodsto the delicious and talented wares of several local farmers and artists markets, including the beloved Milly Market, the Lake Oconee Farmers Market, and the downtown Eatonton Farmers Market.
Our long-term vision for Buy From Friends is ambitious, perhaps one day supporting a fully operative organic farm, cottage industry, and meditation retreat center. But if we’ve learned anything as newbie farmers, it’s the path to abundance is taken one, dirt-and-manure-soaked step at a time.
In the meantime, as we like to say, spread the B.F.F. word, and the jam!
