At Rising Fawn Gardens, we are stewards of nature who are devoted to protecting the land, farming sustainably, and building an enduring community that fosters education and wellness.
Rising Fawn is a small community in Dade County, GA located in the valley below scenic Lookout Mountain. It is conveniently located just 30 minutes from downtown Chattanooga Tennessee, and 30 minutes from Fort Payne, Alabama.
About Us
Meet the Rising Fawn Gardens Team
Karen LaRussa Persinger
CO-OWNER & STUDENT OF LIFE
Karen serves the land as owner and oversees the daily business operations of the farm as well as the Yoga House rentals and events. She is also spearheading the creation of turmeric-infused product collections set to launch in 2020.
Karen completed the Essentials of Herbalism Study with the Blue Ridge School of Herbal Medicine in 2016. She’s also taken several Mindful School courses including Mindfulness Fundamentals and Mindful Educator Essentials. She is a certified yoga instructor and former school teacher. Her passion and talent for teaching makes sharing plant knowledge and nature-based wellness come naturally. To her, Rising Fawn Gardens is an invaluable gift to her family and the community. She spends her days making sure it is taken care of so it can be enjoyed by generations to come.
“Smile, breathe and go slowly” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Steve Persinger
CO-OWNER & CHIEF YARDMAN
Steve serves as owner and as chief yardman. He oversees planting and preserving the Medicinal Garden and fields, clearing and maintaining the trail system on the property and managing the game and wildlife habitats.
Steve’s lifelong experience being in and appreciating the great outdoors has shaped his desire to be a steward of the land and the abundant resources associated with it. He’s spent a vast amount of time learning from Mother Nature firsthand. His gardening experience comes from decades of trial and error in the dirt. Rising Fawn Gardens represents his passion for life. He is forever grateful for the daily opportunity to explore the property, commune with nature and reflect on life.
“The mountains are calling and I must go.” – John Muir
Joseph Persinger
FARM MANAGER
Joseph joined the RFG team officially in January of 2024 as Farm Manager. Joseph’s primary roles is general farm, building, and equipment maintenance, and working to enhance habitat for wildlife.
From a young age Joseph has had a passion for the outdoors. Whether it be hunting, fishing, cooking, or gardening, he has always been at home outside. He received a BS in Agricultural Communication from Auburn University, and this is where his passion for gardening, farming and land stewardship really blossomed. While in school Joseph worked under horticulturist and plant guru, Tia Gonzales, at the University’s Plant Science Research Center, where he gained many valuable skills that will help him in his role as farm manager. Joseph has a unique perspective as a team member because he has seen the evolution of RFG from raw land purchased in 2007, to the operation that it has become today. He has a deep understanding of the vision that Karen and Steve have for the land and plans to continue that vision as the next generation steward of this great natural resource.
Maria Gonzalez
Communications and Event Facilitator
María’s passion for the natural world has been a constant thread throughout her life. Raised in a bilingual and bicultural household, her earliest memories in nature are of the snowy Big Woods of Wisconsin and Colombia’s Andean cloud forests.
María is a dedicated educator and has worked internationally in Colombia, India, Perú, and Spain. Upon returning to the USA, María continued to teach and serve but desired to transition professionally from traditional education to full nature immersion. That dream materialized at the Wauhatchie Forest School in Chattanooga, TN, where she taught before becoming the Head of School in 2021.
María pursued certification in the Japanese practice of forest bathing (shinrin-yoku) to extend wellness benefits to a broader audience and now guides with accreditation from the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy Guides (ANFT). María is wildly excited to be in a relationship with the people and the land of Rising Fawn Gardens and looks forward to curating retreats with other healing modalities.
“Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer