Today we’d like to introduce you to Meghan Cole-Jones.
Hi Meghan, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Our journey as Kaluna Farm Retreat began nearly a decade ago, but the roots of our story stretch much further back. My husband Ben and I were each organic farmers long before we met in 2013. Neither of us grew up in farming families, yet we both felt deeply called to a life centered around seasonal food, land stewardship, and community. Together, we share more than fifty years of farming experience — years that shaped our values, resilience, and purpose.
In our early years on the land, we focused on production farming for local farmers markets in Pickens County and Roswell. Farming while raising our first child was humbling and demanding. We were growing beautiful food for a supportive community, but we were also navigating the realities of labor, sustainability, and balance. Those challenges encouraged us to reassess our resources — including three unique dwellings that had housed interns and farm helpers.
Rather than continuing to take the farm to the city, we decided to bring people to the farm. That shift became the foundation of Kaluna Farm Retreat: transforming our land into a place where guests could experience farm life, reconnect with nature, and share in the abundance we were cultivating.
Over time, the farm has grown from nearly 100 acres to 160 acres, alongside our family and hospitality offerings. Today Kaluna includes five overnight accommodations, a commercial Farm Kitchen, and an event space where we host retreats, gatherings, and seasonal farm-to-table meals. We continue to grow produce, eggs, and value-added products for our local and visiting community, while welcoming guests who want to experience a slower, more intentional way of living.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life as farmers and land stewards has never been a smooth road, but it is a life filled with richness and meaning that we would not trade. The days can be long and physically demanding, yet we wake each morning in a beautiful place with access to clean air, water, and nourishing food. We recognize the privilege of stewarding land and infrastructure, and that awareness fuels our desire to share it with others.
Working closely with nature teaches humility. Farming is an ongoing lesson in reciprocity: if we expect to receive, we must also be willing to give. There are seasons when we invest deeply and harvest little, and seasons when abundance returns in unexpected ways. Every seed carries hope, but never guarantees.
On the hospitality side, the landscape has shifted dramatically over the past decade. When we first began hosting guests, our accommodations were among the few in the area. Today the North Georgia mountains are widely recognized for their beauty, and the short-term rental market has grown crowded. What distinguishes Kaluna is the heart and care we bring to hospitality. Our guests consistently recognize that, which is reflected in our Superhost status and a 4.92 average rating across nearly 1,000 Airbnb reviews. At the same time, we believe no platform can fully represent what Kaluna is. That’s why we encourage guests to connect with us directly and experience the farm beyond a listing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Ben’s family history on this land stretches back seven generations. Our children are growing up within that lineage of connection, and stewardship guides every decision we make. We think in terms of the next seven generations which means building soil health, biodiversity, and infrastructure that will outlive us.
We grow a diverse range of annual and perennial food crops, culinary and medicinal herbs, flowers, native plants, and pasture-raised eggs. Diversity is central to our ecological philosophy. A thriving farm mirrors a thriving ecosystem, and the increasing presence of wildlife on the land reassures us that we are moving in the right direction.
We also recognize how essential nature connection is to human wellness. Many of our guests return year after year, forming relationships not only with the land but with our family, animals, and rhythms of the seasons. We personally greet guests whenever possible and strive to make everyone feel welcomed and included in the life of Kaluna. Hospitality, for us, is not transactional, it’s relational.
Kaluna offers five unique overnight accommodations: the Authentic Log Cabin, Bamboo Roost, Farm House, Treehouse Sanctuary, and Wooden Yurt. Pricing varies depending on accommodation type, group size, and meal needs.
We host multi-day retreats and reunions that include room and board, frequently partnering with facilitators focused on wellness. Our meals feature seasonal, regenerative & organic food grown on our farm and sourced from the local region, with an emphasis on ingredient quality that guests consistently appreciate.
We are expanding into micro-weddings and continuing to grow our direct-to-community food offerings. During the main growing season we harvest weekly and plan to open regular on-site Farm Store hours beginning Spring 2026.
Our website is currently undergoing a redesign, with the new version launching in late February 2026. We encourage folks to stay tuned to our social media accounts and website for more details about our 2026 offerings.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
It would be impossible to tell our story without acknowledging the many people who shaped it. My first mentor, Vinnie McKinney, guided me in my early farming years more than two decades ago. Her influence continues to inform how I work, teach, and show up in the world.
We’ve also been supported by countless interns, apprentices, volunteers, and staff whose hands and hearts contributed to the farm’s growth. Our local customers and visiting guests sustain us in ways both practical and emotional. Most consistently, our families have been our foundation…offering belief, encouragement, and investment through every stage of our evolution.
Kaluna is not the result of two people alone. It is the work of a community.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kalunafarm.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kalunafarmretreat/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kalunafarmretreat
Image Credits
Image #1 (photo of our family and the rainbow): Mike Kane. Image #2 (photo of Meghan with cabbage): Melanie Sassano
