Reporting by Miguel Legoas, Savannah Morning News
President Jimmy Carter’s farm will soon become public land.
On Monday, the Conservation Fund announced it had acquired the family farm of the former president, who died in 2024. It was sold for about $8.5 million and measures approximately 2,458 acres.
Carter’s farm is in Plains, the town where he famously grew up and where he was laid to rest at his private residence. According to the Conservation Fund’s press release, the farm was where the family worked growing peanuts, corn, and sugarcane.
Carter would return there several times over the years to hunt, fish, and walk with his late-wife Rosalynn. At his request, the family kept a stand of mature longleaf pine and much of the property was replanted with young longleaf pine.
Carter’s grandson Jason Carter said via press release, “For our family, this land was always about more than a farm. It was home — a place my grandparents treasured. We’re grateful to The Conservation Fund and to everyone working to make sure it’s protected for generations to come.”
What’s next for Jimmy Carter’s farm?
The farm will become part of Lanahassee Creek Wildlife Management Area, which already has over 1,000 acres managed by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. It was established in 2019 to protect longleaf pine and threatened gopher tortoises.
Carter was known for his conservation efforts and environmental stewardship. Some of those accomplishments include signing the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act plus creating or adding to 16 wildlife refuges, 13 national parks, and 26 wild and scenic rivers.
“Long before Jimmy Carter protected millions of acres across America, he was a boy working the fields and roaming the woods of southwest Georgia,” said Stacy Funderburke, VP of the Conservation Fund’s central Southeast region. “This land shaped him and his legacy, and he never stopped coming home to it. We’re honored to help ensure this land remains healthy habitat for wildlife, and we look forward to the day it is open to everyone who wants to experience it.”
The farm is expected to open to the public for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation by next year.
When was Jimmy Carter governor of Georgia?
Carter was governor of Georgia from 1971 to 1975.
Jimmy Carter presidential term
Carter was president from 1977 to 1981.
Jimmy Carter cause of death
Carter died on Dec. 29, 2024 at age 100. This marked the end of a lengthy period of home hospice care following a diagnosis of metastatic melanoma in 2015.
Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at mlegoas@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News.
Related: Forest loss in Georgia worst in the nation, report finds
