Do you ever find the urge to bask in the beauty of nature while you allow all the stresses of life to meltaway? Have you ever been to a place where food, flowers,and memories seem to just fuse into your senses? Well, in case you’ve been looking for such a location,there is a flower and vegetable farm located in the heart of Middle Georgia called Arena Acres that has provided serenity and joy to every person who has visited the property for the past couple of years.

As you pull up to the farm,you’ll notice a field full of color and wide, open space. A myriad of hues takes hold of your senses, as the farm is home to rows of zinnias, cosmos, marigolds, celosia, mums, and amaranth, just to name a few.

“When you come out here, you get to experience God’s beauty firsthand,” says owner Samantha Lineberger, the brains behind Arena Acres and part of the 4th generation of her family to farm it. “We believe that flowers are not just for special occasions; they’re part of everyday life! ”Arena Acres has been owned and operated by Samantha and her husband Luke since the summer of 2023, and the farm has been a huge hit thus far. “When westarted,I was blown away by the outpouring of love and support from this community. Each year we continue to grow and learn,”says Samantha with a smile.

Samantha’s great grandfather, Lynn Pitzer, bought the farm in the late 1940s. At the time, the property boasted close to 800 acres. After Lynn’s passing,however,thepropertywas split between his children, with Samantha’s mother in heriting the land just a few years ago. “When my grandparents owned it, they had horses,pine trees, and row crops,” explains Samantha. “Up until 2023, the farm was still comprised mainly of row crops.” Thus, it was in 2023 when Samantha and Luke decided to pursue their dream. They approached Samantha’s parents about operating a flower and vegetable farm. The couple would essentially rent a portion of the family’s acreage, while the rest of the farm would be overseen by Samantha’s father, who maintains his cattle on it. Her parents thankfully agreed, and Arena Acres was born.

As natives to Perry, Luke and Samantha met in high school, where they became high school sweethearts. Now, as the Agriculture Education teacher at Perry High School, Luke knows a thing about farming.“My family purchased some property on highway 41that we farmed. We grew the produce that we would then sell to the local Farmer’s Market, and we always enjoyed educating the community about how food is actually produced. That’s where my love of agriculture and education basically started. Now as a teacher, I love educating kids about where their food, fiber and shelter come from.”

“Both of my parents have also been in the agriculture industry,”adds Samantha.“I grew up on a farm that’s located literally two miles from here.”As a small girl, Samantha recalls gardening with her grandfather and taking delight in watching things grow .“I always had a row or two of flowers to farm myself,” shesays with a grin. As a high schooler, Samantha even competed in several floral design competitions in her school’s FFA program and later took a job at a local floral shop.

After high school, Samantha attended UGA and majored in Agribusiness and Food Industry Marketing and Administration. “At the time I was still not 100%sure what I wanted to do, but knew I wanted to be on the farm.I really didn’t want to be stuck inside all the time, surrounded by four walls.”

The Linebergers now farm a total of 20 acres, using about 8 acres to plant flowers, vegetables, and pumpkins.“We sell premade bouquets, but we also offer an option for customers to pick their own flowers,” explains Samantha.Forasmall fee, visitors to Arena Acres can fill up a cup with the flowers that they pick.The farm provides everything you need:the cup,somewater and clippers.“We also sell a variety of vegetables as well as pumpkins when they’re in season. Our pumpkin patch is the place to be in the fall.”

There’s even a “Flower Bar,” a type of mobile florist shop which can be rented for weddings, parties and baby showers.“I deliver it with all the flowers fully stocked. Then, after the event is over, I just pick up the stand.”

The farm also produces a wide variety of pumpkins which can be a challenge to farm.“They require a lot of time and patience to grow,butnot many people grow them in the south because(the process) is very difficult and time consuming,”explains Samantha. I grow your traditional orange carving pumpkins,as well as white, pink, blue, tan and yellow, andt hey come in all shapes and sizes.”

As far as the future of Arena Acres, Luke says that they have major plans with their upcoming projects involves the construction of a brick and mortar structure that willcontaina pavilion, a kitchenette as well as retail space.“We should be breaking ground on it later this year, “he explains.“We plan to use this building primarily as an educational tool to teach the public about agricultural production and nutrition.”

With the addition of the building, Samantha hopes to turn the couple’s flower and vegetable farm into an agribusiness venture that will help enlighten folks about how their produce is grown.“My real passion is farming, but I also love educating the public about agriculture.” Thus the new building will be used to host field trips, conduct classes and floral design workshops, as well as offer children’s arts and crafts sessions. “I am very excited to see where this journey takes our family, and I am so thankful to our community for the love and support that they continue to show us.”

Arena Acres is located at 2229 Kings Chapel Road is open to the public from about mid-March until the first frost of the year. Hours are from 5 until 8 p.m. on Fridays and 9a.m. until noon on Saturdays.