For almost twenty years, this Georgia farm sat untouched, the gates shut tight leaving the townspeople wondering if it would ever make a comeback. But when Jake Carter, the fifth generation of this farming family, came home from college in 2004, he was inspired to make the most of their farm.
Since the late 1930’s, the Southern Belle Farm, located in McDonough, GA, focused primarily on cattle and growing their dairy business from a 350 head of Holstein dairy cows. When the dairy industry tanked in the 1980’s, the Carter family sold out of the dairy business and their farm sat empty.
In 2005, inspired by Jake Carter, the family set their sights on agritourism. With a vision of educating the public on agriculture and giving them an up-close opportunity to visit a working farm, they constructed a new barn and used 7 of their 350 acres to plant a corn maze. It was an instant success, drawing people from even around the greater Atlanta area.
The Carter family knew the importance of agriculture education and have spent the past 14 years adding a little more variety and a lot more fun. From their meager reentry into the farming world with a corn maze, they increased their production each year with a strawberry patch one year. Another year they planted a peach orchard. With every addition, the public has been wildly responsive, showing up in droves to visit the farm and take home fresh produce.
The Southern Belle Farm offers seasonal u-picking for delicious berries and sweet Georgia peaches and other fresh produce already picked and available in their country market, situated in the middle of the farm.
Enjoying some homemade ice cream with fresh berries in the rocking chairs thst line the country market.
The cashier stand inside the Southern Belle Market is constructed of lumber from the family’s very first barn.
Not only is it a great place to experience the joys of harvesting your own fruit, there are plenty of activities for the kids too, from giant slides to tractor rides, there’s something for everyone at the Southern Belle Farm.
AGRICULTURE EDUCATION FOR THE PUBLIC
As good stewards, Southern Belle Farm strives to honor our God given family heritage to create a wholesome atmosphere, which strengthens family bonds within our communities and staff, while educating the public about agriculture. —Southern Belle Farm mission statement
While maintaining a thriving agritourism business and a working farm, Southern Belle Farm has done a commendable job of educating the public. They offer educational tours to over 30,000 students each year. Part of the tour includes a milking demonstration with one of their dairy cows and Daniel Welliber, General Manager of Southern Belle Farms, says, “Kids have no idea where milk comes from and after watching a milking demonstration, they may never drink milk again!”
While it’s laughable to imagine the shock on kids’ faces as they watch milk stream into a pail from a cow’s udders, it’s no surprise most kids don’t know where their food (or drink) comes from. Farmers across America strive to increase public education and awareness of the process of growing food from the farm to the table because it’s important and farming is often misunderstood and under-appreciated. Southern Belle Farm seeks to provide a safe place to educate the public while giving families opportunities for good, wholesome fun.
My daughter made strawberry shortcake with the berries we brought home. Yum!
If you’re ever Georgia, swing just off the beaten path of I-75 to the sweetest friendliest farm in the area. Be sure to grab a bucket and head into the fields to pick your own delicious fruit. You can find Southern Belle Farms on Facebook, Instagram, or their website.
FARM TOURS ACROSS AMERICA
Join us for a summer of fun as we visit farms across America, learning how crops are grown and harvested as well as packaged and shipped. You’ll be able to see the whole process from start to finish so come back every Monday this summer to visit another farm! Have farming questions? Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram or leave a comment on this post. Thanks!