Secret Hideaway: Serenbe Farms

Experience farm-to-table fare, a working organic farm, and an upscale farmhouse at this retreat just southwest of Atlanta.|Kim Cross

The Farm: Run by 28-year-old Paige Witherington, a blue-eyed farmer as comfy on a mountain bike as on a tractor, this tiny organic farm feeds Serenbe, a New Urbanist community that’s a model of sustainable development southwest of Atlanta. Paige, partner Justin Dansby, and three helpers coax from 5 acres enough veggies to supply two local chefs, a farmers’ market, a few Atlanta restaurants, and 110 people who signed up for a weekly veggie box. With advance notice, you can tour the farm and help with planting, harvesting, and other chores for an hour or a day.

Where You’ll Sleep: Under 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets at the Inn at Serenbe. Steve and Marie Nygren, Serenbe’s founders, transformed their 1905 farmhouse into a well-appointed bed-and-breakfast with soaking tubs and Internet access. A 1930s horse barn became a suite, and a few small cottages are romantic retreats. Maid service, a poolside cabana, and a croquet lawn appeal to adults, while kids love the fishing lake and the goats and pigs that live in pens beneath tall pines.

What You’ll Eat: Rooms include a country breakfast at The Farmhouse, which also features farm produce on a dinner menu Thursday through Saturday. At The Hil, chef Hilary White offers simple, delicious crea-tions such as muddled basil martinis and creamed cucumbers with sweet onions.

Who Goes There: Travelers who want to enjoy farm-to-table fare in a brilliantly planned community.

You’ll Love It If: You want to tour a real working organic farm ... then relax at the pool, explore some shops, and bed down in an upscale farmhouse with Internet and satellite TV.

You Won’t Love It If: You prefer rustic, old-school authenticity over the deliberate charm of a modern planned development.

Authentic Farm Moment: Picking green beans with farmer Paige, then tasting their unadorned freshness at one of the restaurants.

What You’ll Take Home: The desire to support local farmers by joining a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. And faith that this small but productive farm will inspire others like it.

Rooms from $190, including farm breakfast and afternoon tea; serenbeinn.com or 770/463-2610

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