Farmer D & Serenbe
Daron 'Farmer D' Joffe
My colleague Farmer D
In my recent work I had the opportunity to pursue a large community garden project in Suwanee, Georgia (largest in the State as of 2010). For the project I needed an expert on farming to supplement our consulting team. I invited Daron ‘Farmer D’ Joffe to join our team. We had first met while working together on Serenbe in south Atlanta. Farmed D had been an expert I have always admired and respected. Together we completed the community garden called ‘Harvest Farm’ at ‘White Street Park’.
Our working relationship has since expanded to include a formal collaboration to pursue planning and consulting work to implement community gardens, school gardens, farms and farm based communities around the country and even outside the US.
Our work includes Richard Branson’s first US based Virgin Resort the Natirar in New Jersey. It features a 30 acre organic farm, 5 star restaurant and a rose garden for which we provided design consulting services.
Additionally we have worked together on the Longleaf Preserve a 2000 acre conservation and preservation community in the panhandle of Florida adjacent to the Nukose Plantation.
We also just won the contract to complete master plan for integrating urban farming into the City Master Plan for the City of Alameda, CA.
Other smaller projects include a number of community and school gardens including Smyrna’s Community Garden and the Epstein School Garden.
Serenbe
I have had the great pleasure of being one of a handful of consultants who has provided substantial consulting services to the developers and builders in Serenbe. I have been working with Mr. Steve Nygren (the major owner and developer) since 2004 and have provided services including planning, engineering, and landscape architecture. In addition, I have provided design services to many of the individual home owners and builders of the community. My completed works at Serenbe include nearly all of the landscaping for homes in the first community, “Selborne” and several in “the Grange” community. Additionally I have had a major part in land planning and site engineering for all three phases of the development.
I have drafted Serenbe’s landscape design guidelines and the lot pattern book for ” the Grange” community. I served as a primary reviewer for the Landscape Architectural Review Committee prior to the turn-over to the community. I provided detailed designs for the ball field and dog park as well as all of the streetscapes.