In this episode, David heads to Waverly, Georgia, to visit Grassroots Farms, where farmer Brandon Chonko is building a regenerative farm from the ground up. Using heritage livestock, rotational grazing, and low-input methods, he transforms raw land into fertile soil. This story explores sustainable farming, rare breeds, and the grit it takes to grow food in South Georgia.

Trailer with Grassroots Farms painted on the side

 

 

In the piney woods of Camden County, Georgia, a first-generation farmer is rewriting what it means to build a farm from scratch. Brandon Chonko left suburban Atlanta with a history degree and found himself staring down 31 acres of raw, unforgiving land. No power, no fencing, and plenty of predators. In those early days, the silence was overwhelming enough to inspire what he calls a “sad nap” in his truck.

But Grassroots Farms did not stay silent for long. Chonko leaned into a low-tech approach, letting pigs root up dense scrub and cattle fertilize the soil. Over time, the land began to change. What was once poor dirt now supports a variety of crops without added fertilizer. Alongside this transformation is a commitment to preserving history through piney woods cattle, a rare breed tied to the earliest days of the region.

The farm is equal parts experiment and legacy. From mischievous goats to forgetful chickens, and from citrus trees saved from a deep freeze to dreams of future harvests, Chonko is building something meant to last. Not just a farm, but a place where his children might one day stand and remember. As he puts it, he is not just growing food. He is growing memories.

 

 

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