2025 Rural
Renaissance
Roadshow Field Trips

November 12, 2025

Join us for field trips highlighting rural energy systems, rural food systems, rural water systems, and housing & health.

Rural Renaissance Roadshow hero image

2025 FIELD TRIPS

Get a first-hand look at projects making a difference within systems of energy, food, water, housing & health in rural communitites in West Georgia and East Alabama – with the cost included in your Roadshow admission.

Field Trip to Rural Studio in Newbern, Alabama

Auburn University’s Rural Studio

Based in Alabama’s Black Belt as a part of Auburn University’s School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture, Rural Studio has completed more than 220 community-centered projects and educated over 1,200 students. Its mission, educating citizen architects, combines hands-on student learning with research on sustainable and healthy rural living through projects focused on housing and infrastructure. During the field trip, you will tour innovative housing, water infrastructure, and other community-focused projects by the Rural Studio.

REGISTER

TIME

DETAILS
9:20 a.m.

Depart the Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort and Spa at Grand National (2hr 40min drive)

  • Enjoy Southern Exposure Films by the Alabama Rivers Alliance during the trip!
  • Buses are equipped with Wi-Fi, charging outlets, reclining seats, and restrooms.
12:00 p.m.

Arrive at Morrisette House, Rural Studio (60 min)

8448 Highway 61, Newbern, AL 36765
  • Lunch at Great Hall with staff, students, and faculty
  • Brief presentations by students
1:00 p.m.

Begin Morrisette House campus tour (40 min)

  • Farm
  • Pods/Bathhouse
  • Dining House
  • Wastewater System
1:40 p.m.

Drive downtown for tour: Newbern Library, Town Hall, Firehouse (35 min)

  • 7840 Highway 61, Newbern, AL 36765
2:15 p.m.

Visit CLT Core House (10 min)
2:30 p.m

Depart Newbern, AL (2hr 40min drive)
5:00 p.m.

Arrive back at the Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort and Spa at Grand National

Field Trip White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, Georgia

White Oak Pastures

This six-generation, 158-year-old family farm in Bluffton, Georgia, takes pride in regenerative land management, humane animal husbandry, and revitalizing their rural community. White Oak Pastures practices radically traditional farming to produce food that’s better for their land, their livestock, and their village. They’re also fiercely proud of their zero-waste production system, which ensures every part of the animals they pasture-raise and hand-butcher on the farm is fully utilized. During the tour, you will get to meet Will Harris, Owner and Operator of White Oak Pastures.

REGISTER
 

TIME

DETAILS
9:30 a.m.

Depart from Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa (2hr Drive)

SWITCHES TO EASTERN TIME

  • Enjoy Southern Exposure Films by the Alabama Rivers Alliance during the trip!
  • Buses are equipped with Wi-Fi, charging outlets, reclining seats, and restrooms.
12:30 p.m.

Drop off at the General Store (101 Church St, Bluffton, GA 39824)

  • 15 minute restroom break 
  • Check out the store after the tour!
12:45 p.m.

Depart to the nearby Bluffton Community Building – (316 Bluff St, Bluffton, GA 39824) 
    12:50 p.m. – 2:05 p.m.

    Lunch & Conversation with CEO, Will Harris

    • Lunch – loaded salad bar
    • Proteins are pasture raised and grass fed, many produce are fresh from the garden, and the salad dressings are made in house 
    • Mr. Harris will discuss the origin and history of White Oak Pastures, their farming practices that focus on regenerative land management, humane animal husbandry, and revitalizing their rural community. 

    Videos will be shown on topics such as: 

    • Solar Farms with White Oak Pastures Sheep!
    • Cattle and Hog moves  
    • White Oak Pasture’s approach to land stewardship 
    • Animal Welfare – White Oak Blueprints are Temple Grandin approved! This video will show footage of their processing plant. If attendees are not interested in seeing this, they may step away and videos can be paused 
    2:05 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

    Guided Tour of the farm from the bus! 

    Learn about White Oak Pasture’s Radically Traditional Farming methods from Will Harris. Views from the tour will include: 
    • The Garden (weather permitting) 
    • The Farm 
    • The Processing Plant  
    • Downtown Bluffton, Georgia 
    2:45 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

    Back to the General Store (101 Church St, Bluffton, GA 39824) 

    Walk around the general store & barnyard! 
    • General Store good include tallow goods, leather goods, t-shirts, jarred goods such as jams and jellies, and ketchup made in-house 
    • The Barnyard is between the horse barn and the general store and has a seesaw! 
    • Get some treats at the general store to give to the animals 
    • Say hello to their horses, dairy cow, mini cow, & donkey 
    • Final bathroom Break 
    3:30 p.m

    Depart White Oak Pastures for Opelika (2 hr drive)

    SWITCHES BACK TO CENTRAL TIME
          4:30 p.m

          Arrive back at Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort & Spa 

           

          Field Trip to Lanett, Alabama

          Local Energy Savings Programs + Meet the Mayor! 

          Board the bus to Lanett, Alabama, future home of a resilience hub and location of Groundswell’s 100th home to receive repairs and energy efficiency upgrades under our Save on Utilities Long-Term program! See the site of a future resilience hub, get a historical tour of the town, learn about the home repairs, and meet Mayor Jamie Heard — 2024 recipient of Groundswell’s Rural Power Champion Award — who will join us for lunch — and Groundswell’s Andrew Robison will provide an overview of our funding strategy.

          REGISTER

          TIME

          DETAILS
          9:40 a.m.

          Bus leaves the Marriott Opelika Resort and Spa at Grand National (40 min. drive)

          SWITCHES TO EASTERN TIME

          • Enjoy Southern Exposure Films by the Alabama Rivers Alliance during the trip!
          • Buses are equipped with Wi-Fi, charging outlets, reclining seats, and restrooms.
          11:20 a.m.

          Arrive at the Jane Farrar Event Center (214 N Lanier Ave., Lanett, AL 36863) 

          • 15 minute break
          • Tour guides board the bus!
          11:35 a.m.

          Tour begins! Back on the bus. 

          • Historical Tour by Eddie Lanier
          • Ride-by of homes repaired by Groundswell’s SOUL Program led by Kyle Johnson, Project Manager at Carlisle Service Company
          1:35 p.m.

          Return to the Event Center for Lunch

          • Meet the Mayor of Lanett, Jamie Heard
          • Home Repair and Resilience Hub Funding Strategy Overview by Andrew Robison,  Groundswell and Sonia Moin, Director of Groundswell’s SOUL Program
          3:00 p.m.

          Arrive at the Lanett Senior Citizens Center – future resilience hub! (1302 Cherry Dr, Lanett, AL 36863)

          • Hear from Sandra Thornton, Lanett Senior Citizens Center
          3:30 p.m.

          Back on the bus, Return to The Marriott (40 min. drive)

          SWITCHES BACK TO CENTRAL TIME
          3:10 p.m.

          Arrive at The Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort and Spa at Grand National

           

          2025 SPEAKERS

          Nathan Tubbs

          Master Teacher, AU Teach Department of Curriculum & Teaching, Auburn University

          Andrew Robison

          Director of Southeast Regional Market Development, Groundswell

          Kevin M. Couch 

          School Certifying Official, Veterans Resource Center, Auburn University

          Rodly Millet

          CEO, Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities

          SEE MORE SPEAKERS