Jon JacksonMilledgeville, GA
Jon Jackson
Comfort Farms/STAG VETS, INC.
Milledgeville, GA
Piedmont Soil and Water Conservation District
The following text was submitted by the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) on behalf of Jon Jackson, nominating him for the 2023 NACD Friend of Conservation Award which he subsequently was awarded at the 2024 NACD Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA on February 13.
After completing six deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Jon Jackson exited the military and was faced with many difficulties as he felt he had lost his sense of purpose. He regained a purpose when he founded Comfort Farms. Comfort Farms is a 38-acre, 100% regenerative, working farm that helps veterans in crisis. The farm has a focus of growing a variety of vegetables and livestock and sells goods onsite. In addition, Jon Jackson and Comfort Farms provide educational opportunities that give veterans in need a place to use their skills and energy to fulfill a purpose. Comfort Farms has provided services to several hundred veterans and their families resulting in thousands of visitors.
Through USDA NRCS funding, Comfort Farms utilizes several practices around the farm which gives the workers and community a better understanding of conservation. The farm uses a combination of underground drip irrigation and wobble-head irrigation to improve water efficiency. A well was installed on the far that provides 100% of its irrigation and water needs. Cover crops are used between crop rows to improve soil health and provide habitat for local pollinators. The use of a hoop house gives a more controlled growing environment and extends the vegetable growing season. Terraces are utilized in the orchard and include wood chips between berms to help with moisture absorption and control water flow. The farm utilizes heavy use fencing to control livestock movement, to help the land recover, and for farm attendance to safely move livestock from one area to another.
From the vegetable and livestock production on the farm, Jackson sells several varieties of produce and meats to restaurants, markets, and community members. Jackson also provides educational opportunities and tours on the farm for veterans, nearby schools and other groups with farming interests. These tours enable participants to see agriculture from a wide view across the industry by traveling to other farms and locations to learn their contribution to agriculture. Programs like soil health, composting, water conservation, and raising animals are just a few of the hands-on learning opportunities the farm provides.
Jackson understands that every veteran who is homeless and in need of emotional support may feel that they lack the courage and determination to achieve greatness. He does his best to ensure that every veteran who comes through the program will find the strength in themselves to do something great again through a structured, friendly, creative work environment that respects diverse ideas and a hard work ethic. As a farm and program that was born from despair to help others, to now also educating the community, and selling fresh produce and meat, Jon Jackson is a true friend of conservation.
In the fall of 2023, the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) awarded Jackson the Conservationist of the Year Award. In celebration of this honor and to share his story in his own words, GACD produced this video.
Posted April 2024