Sanctuaire Farms: Bougie Homesteading

Dreaming of a bougie homesteading lifestyle? Tune in to this week’s Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast as host Carol Morgan chats with Jennifer and Rob Beecham of Folia Group about Sanctuaire Farms — a modern farmstead living community in Ball Ground, Georgia, offering 5- to 15-acre homesites designed for sustainable, regenerative living. A Modern Take on Homesteading Located in Cherokee County, Sanctuaire Farms features 54 homesites across 461 acres. Each home includes five to 15 acres of land, ready to be transformed with residents’ agricultural visions. Natural, rolling hills and creek-front lots offer scenic views from your front door, while onsite agricultural amenities provide ample opportunities to engage with neighbors and connect as a family. Sanctuaire Farms is thoughtfully designed by Atlanta architect, Steven Kemp. Rob Beecham said, “We are conservationists and we are developing a sustainable, regenerative community that is very green-centered.” After the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beecham family purchased a 122-acre plot in Ball Ground and decided to start fresh. They quickly realized they didn’t need as much land and subdivided the acreage into a five-track community with friends. The connectivity of this community inspired them to create a central farm where residents could learn farming techniques together and grow as individuals. “What we found is most people moved off the farm several generations ago, and we all lost all those skills, and it's much easier to learn them in a kind of corporate community environment,” said Rob Beecham. “From that experience, we envisioned a much larger adaptation of what we were doing on our farm, and that's how Sanctuaire Farms was kind of birthed.” Agrarian Learning at The Grange In addition to its homesites, Sanctuaire Farms also showcases a 50-acre store and agrarian learning center known as The Grange, where residents can learn helpful farming and gardening practices from professionals. Currently, the Grange includes a community garden, six Highland cows and two horses. At completion, residents will enjoy a fully functioning farm with a dairy and farmer's market. “What we tell people is, you don't have to do everything on your own farm,” said Rob Beecham. “You can do the things you're passionate about and then supplement the other things you don't necessarily need to do. You can supplement by participating in our community farm. It gives you the ability to be a part-time farmer if you want.” Jennifer Beecham will oversee community events at The Grange, such as dinners, social clubs and learning opportunities. “The unique thing is we'll be open to the public,” said Jennifer Beecham. “This is not just something for the community itself; it's also for the whole community and surrounding areas, and so that other people get to enjoy the Grange itself too.” A Focus on Sustainability Sanctuaire Farms is a fully regenerative community, from its produce and animal maintenance to the construction of homesites. Residents will be expected to utilize pesticide- and chemical-free practices and invest in organic farming techniques. "We've changed our complete lifestyle of how we eat, where we shop, and where we buy our food,” said Rob Beecham. “More and more people are coming on board to understand how important this is, and we see that playing a vital role in our community and people's lives.” Life at Sanctuaire Farms When pre-sales began a few months ago, homesites at Sanctuaire Farms went quickly. The Beechams estimate that 30 homes are already accounted for, proving that homebuyers are seeking this lifestyle. The development stage will begin shortly, with sales anticipated to start at the end of this year. “We've got people that are coming in and building smaller homes that are more focused on the farming side,” said Rob Beecham. “And we have a number of folks that have purchased multiple lots and plan on building much larger, kind of grander estates.