Alpharetta, Georgia – A $300,000 investment is set to turn an existing house at Old Rucker Farm into something the Alpharetta community has envisioned for years: a place where lessons about food, farming and sustainability can continue even after people step indoors.
The City of Alpharetta’s Community Agriculture Program received a Lowe’s Community Impact Grant to renovate the farm house into a year-round Community Education Center. The project will expand the learning already taking place across the property while creating a permanent indoor home for classes, camps and hands-on programs.
Renovation work will bring the building up to code and address several major areas, including flooring, mechanical and electrical systems and the bathroom. The kitchen will also be rebuilt to support cooking demonstrations, nutrition education and food preservation workshops.
“For years, we have envisioned the farm’s house as a place where people could come together to learn, create, share food and connect with the land,” said Amanda Musilli, Community Agriculture & Sustainability Manager for the City of Alpharetta.
“Lowe’s is helping us turn that vision into a reality and expand the incredible outdoor learning already happening at Old Rucker Farm into a year-round experience.”
Once finished, the center is expected to host sustainable agriculture classes, youth camps, nature-based activities, food preservation programs and other community events throughout the year.
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Those programs will build on features already operating at Old Rucker Farm, including its community garden, orchard, apiary and pollinator garden. The indoor center will give participants additional opportunities to cook, experiment and explore how agriculture connects with everyday life.
For longtime program supporter Richard Leibovitz, the grant also closes a circle that began four years ago, when he first brought the Lowe’s Community Impact opportunity to the program’s attention.
“I remember seeing the potential of this place years ago and thinking about what the farm’s house could become,” Leibovitz said. “To see Lowe’s make this investment now is incredibly exciting. It feels like a dream that has been a long time coming.”
The Lowe’s Community Impact Program is part of the company’s five-year, $100 million commitment to renovate and revitalize community spaces.
Construction on the Old Rucker Farm Community Education Center is expected to be completed by March 1, 2027.
“This is an investment in much more than a building,” Alpharetta City Council member John Hipes said. “It is an investment in people and in the future of our community.”
More information about local programs and opportunities is available through the Alpharetta Community Agriculture Program.
