This fall, enjoy harvest season at a local farm where you can peek at the pigs, gawk at the geese, or even harvest a bushel for yourself. From agriculture to agri-tainment, you can take your city slickers to one of these nearby spots to get down on the farm. Keep reading for our favorite places to make like Farmer Brown.
Mountain Fresh Creamery & Glo-Crest Dairy Farm, Clermont
Farm tours begin at Glo-Crest Dairy and they are “udderly” cool! On your farm tour, you will be able to see the baby calves in the nursery, witness the cows being milked in the milking parlor, milk “Janie” (the pretend cow), learn about cows and how the ones at Glo-Crest are treated like the ladies they are, explore exhibits in a dairy facility, and learn about the benefits of dairy in your diet. From there, travel 2 miles to Mountain Fresh Creamery, learn all about the bottling process that takes place when the milk leaves the dairy, and sample whole milk and chocolate milk, as well as have an opportunity to try fresh ice cream with a coupon to use that day at “The Silo.”
Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. and Sunday 1-6 p.m.; Farm tours start at 10 a.m.
6615 Cleveland Hwy.
Clermont
770-983-1666
Online: mountainfreshcreamery.com
Hardman Farm State Historic Site - Sautee Nacoochee
This is a heritage farm, which means that you'll find guided walking tours of the 19th-century home of Captain James Nichols, Calvin Hunnicutt, and former Gov. Lamartine Hardman. There is also a gazebo-topped Indian Mound, and you can mosey through the spring house and former horse barn on the site. As the site of a former dairy, you can also learn—but not witness, as it's no longer an operating dairy—about how milk was processed and transported.
Mon.-Sun. from 10 a.m.-3 p.m
143 GA-17 Sautee Nacoochee 706-878-1077 Online: gastatparks.orgJaemor Farms, Alto
Go to Jaemor for the huge farm market, pumpkin patch, corn maze, and special events. This fifth-gen family farm has bakery treats you'll be dreaming about for weeks, including fried pies and homemade ice cream made from the season's bounty.
Mon.-Sat. 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. 1-6 p.m.
Cooper Creek, Calhoun
If you missed the Sunflower Festival this summer, don't worry. The corn maze in the fall, and pig races, gem mining, and kid-delighting activities year-round mean that you'll find plenty to do at this farm, created especially for kids and families. While you might not learn a lot about crop rotation at this one, you'll have a blast shooting the pumpkin cannon.
1514 Reeves Station Rd. SW
Calhoun
706-280-5592
Online: coopercreekfarm.com
Southern Belle Farm, McDonough
Southern Belle Farm is total storybook farm. You'll find a big silo, a bright red barn, plus a giant jumping pillow, cow train, pedal carts, and over 30 other activities offered on this 330-acre family farm.
1658 Turner Church Rd.
McDonough
770-288-2582
Online: southernbellefarm.com
Lane Southern Orchards, Fort Valley
Enjoy homemade peach ice cream and grab a rocking chair on the porch while the kids play on a farm-themed playground with real tractors. Stroll through a huge indoor roadside market filled with farm fresh peaches, pecans, strawberries and apples when in season, as well as other fresh seasonal produce, gourmet treats, local wines and craft beers. Enjoy breakfast or lunch at the Peachtree Café or take a seasonal field trip to the Farm.
Open daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
50 Lane Rd.
Fort Valley
478-825-3362
Online: lanesouthernorchards.com
Berry Patch Farm, Woodstock
Pick your own blueberries in June to pumpkins in the Fall, and cut your own Christmas tree at Berry Patch Farms. While you're there, be sure to enjoy a picnic and hayride, and a visit to the barnyard to see the baby animals.
786 Arnold Mill Rd.
Woodstock
770-926-0561
Online: berrypatchfarms.net
Featured image via iStock.
—Shelley Massey
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