The artists, musicians, dancers, volunteers, cultural organizations, food vendors, children making art and strangers meeting one another are what turn a physical location into a community space. A successful festival doesn’t simply occupy a place. It activates it.
Read MoreI've had several conversations with area farmers during Agriculture Month. Some have left me energized. Others have left me deeply concerned. And I've found myself holding two seemingly contradictory thoughts at the same time:
Read MorePlease join us as the Augusta-Richmond County Commission officially kicks off Augusta Agriculture Month 2026 with a special proclamation and recognition ceremony celebrating the people who cultivate our land, strengthen our communities, and preserve our agricultural heritage.
Read MoreThe fund comes as Georgia faces significant development pressure. The Georgia Department of Agriculture estimates the state could lose about 800,000 acres of farmland by 2040—roughly 10% of its farmland. Farmers are increasingly receiving lucrative offers for land as housing, industrial development, warehouses, and data centers expand.
Read MoreWe already welcome thousands of visitors for the Masters, Peach Jam, Ironman, and other major events. But how intentionally are we connecting those visitors to our artists, musicians, farmers, makers, neighborhoods, and small businesses?
Read MoreAs communities search for practical ways to strengthen public health, education, and local economies, community gardens are quietly proving that civic engagement doesn't always begin in a meeting room or at City Hall. Sometimes it begins with a shovel, a shared purpose, and a willingness to grow something together.
Read MoreAfter a very difficult 2023 — losing my mother, receiving my own cancer diagnosis, and moving through treatment — I found myself slowly rebuilding my sense of rhythm, purpose, and connection. Music helped me breathe again. Art helped me notice beauty again. Community helped me remember that healing is not something we do alone.
Read More"We're seeing communities think more like systems," said Karen Gordon, founder of Growing Augusta and publisher of Urban Pro Weekly. "A farmers market isn't just about food anymore. It's also about entrepreneurship, public health, neighborhood development and community gathering. The same project is serving multiple purposes."
Read MoreAudacity of Humility is a community conversation for people who are ready to stop confusing humility with shrinking.
The question is simple but powerful: What if building boldly is not a betrayal of community, but one of the ways we come back better equipped to serve it with clarity, purpose, and rooted power together?
Read MoreBefore you ask people to invest their labor in a teaching farm, invest time in building the systems that support them.
Inside you'll find governance tools, startup checklists, readiness assessments, onboarding systems, agreements, community engagement strategies, operational frameworks, and perhaps most importantly, lessons learned from observing a teaching farm launch in real time.
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