Fall 2014 Agritourism Guide

Originally published in the Oct. 1, 2014, issue

 

Department Chief of Staff Joyce White, right, and her twin
sister Jean Dykes enjoy picking pumpkins at Burt's Farm
in Dawsonville, Ga.

It’s fall, y’all! Gather the family and head out to one of Georgia’s many pumpkin patches and corn mazes to celebrate October Agritourism Month! When using this guide, please contact the farm you wish to visit beforehand for hours of operation, opening day and directions. Be sure to send photos to dallas.duncan@agr.georgia.gov for a chance to be featured on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as #gafarmpics!

 

BARTOW COUNTY

Pettit Creek Farms

337 Cassville Road, Cartersville
770-386-8688
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Pumpkin Patch Farms

230 Old Dixie Highway NW, Adairsville
770-773-2617
Pumpkin patch

BERRIEN COUNTY

Amaze-N-Cane
7247 Old Valdosta Road, Nashville
229-396-1397
Corn maze
 
BROOKS COUNTY
Lawson Peaches
8545 Valdosta Highway, Morven
229-775-2581
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
CARROLL COUNTY
Ole McDermitt's Farm
102 Baxter Road, Carrollton
678-850-8948
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
CHATHAM COUNTY
Bamboo Forest & Coastal Gardens
2 Canebrake Road, Savannah
912-921-5460
Pumpkin patch
 
Ottawa Farms
702 Bloomingdale Road, Bloomingdale
912-748-3035
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
CHEROKEE COUNTY
Berry Patch Farm
786 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock
770-926-0561
Pumpkin patch
 
Big Springs Farm
2100 Sugar pike Road, Woodstock
678-899-3900
Pumpkin patch
 
Cagle's Family Farm
355 Stringer Road, Canton
770-345-5591
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
COBB COUNTY
Bray Family Farms
3625 Powder Springs Road, Powder Springs
770-616-0873
Pumpkin Patch
 
Corn on the Cobb
5630 Macland Road, Powder Springs
678-283-6951
Pumpkin patch
 
COWETA COUNTY
Uncle Bob's Tricky Crop Maze
3781 E. Happy Valley Circle, Newnan
770-253-8100
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
DAWSON COUNTY
Bradley's Pumpkin Patch
55 Lawrence Drive, Dawsonville
770-380-3632
Pumpkin patch
 
Buck's Corn Maze
1923 New Hope Road, Dawsonville
706-344-8834
Corn maze
 
Burt's Farm
4801 Highway 52, Dawsonville
706-265-3701
Pumpkin patch
 
Uncle Shuck's Corn Maze
4525 Highway 53 East, Dawsonville
678-637-1958
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
DECATUR COUNTY
Spring Hill Tree Farm
795 Woodhull Road, Bainbridge
229-246-2231
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
EFFINGHAM COUNTY
Madrac Farm
580 Ralph Rohn Road, Rincon
912-704-7651
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
FORSYTH COUNTY
Warbington Farms
5555 Crowe Road, Cumming
770-380-2920
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Entrance to Washington Farms' corn maze in
Watkinsville, Ga.

GILMER COUNTY

Huckleberry Holler Corn Maze
165 Soccerfield Road, Ellijay
706-276-3535
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
GORDON COUNTY
Payne Farms
204 Salem Road, Calhoun

678-986-6366
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
GWINNETT COUNTY
Buford Corn Maze
4470 Bennett Road, Buford
678-835-7198
Corn maze
 
Corn Dawgs
110 Leona Avenue, Loganville
770-786-9000
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
Harbins Corn Maze
774 Will Wages Road, Dacula
678-758-4604
Corn maze
 
HABERSHAM COUNTY
Jaemor Farms
5340 Cornelia Highway, Alto
770-869-3999
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
HALL COUNTY
Kinsey Family Farm
7170 Jot 'Em Down Road, Gainesville
770-887-6028
Pumpkin patch
 
HARALSON COUNTY
Steadman Farms
3238 Steadman Road, Tallapoosa
770-574-2611
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
HENRY COUNTY
Southern Belle Farm
1767 Turner Church Road, McDonough
770-288-2582
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
Yule Forest
3565 Highway 155 N, Stockbridge
770-945-9356
Pumpkin patch
 
JENKINS COUNTY
Hootie's Corn Maze
1265 Old Louisville Road, Millen
706-466-1115
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Sunny Day Farms
1966 Mae Lamb Road, Louisville
478-360-5051
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
LAURENS COUNTY
TroupCorn
105 Marie Church Road, Dublin
478-272-8170
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
LOWNDES COUNTY
Raisin' Cane
3350 Newsome Road, Valdosta
229-559-7652
Corn maze
 
MONROE COUNTY
Twin Oaks Fun Farm
1946 Johnstonville Road, Forsyth
678-544-0756
Pumpkin patch
 
NEWTON COUNTY
Mitcham Farms-Colonel Cob's
797 Macedonia Church Road, Oxford
770-786-8805
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
OCONEE COUNTY
Washington Farms
5671 Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville
706-254-6736
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
PEACH COUNTY
Lane Southern Orchards
50 Lane Road, Fort Valley
478-825-3592
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
PICKENS COUNTY
Kernel Kob Corn Maze
1153 Salem Church Road, Jasper
706-253-5588
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
Yahoo Farms
4729 Waleska Highway 108, Jasper
770-735-3638
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
POLK COUNTY
Carlton Farms
1276 Cartersville Highway, Rockmart
770-546-5179
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
PUTNAM COUNTY
Crooked Pines Farm

The selection of pumpkins and gourds is vast at Kinsey Family Farms in
Gainesville, Ga.

355 Harmony Road, Eatonton
706-347-0274
Pumpkin patch
 
Southern Manor Farm
621 Wards Chapel Road, Eatonton
706-830-3937
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
RABUN COUNTY
Hillside Orchards
105 Mitcham Circle, Tiger
706-782-4995
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
SCREVEN COUNTY
Freeman's Family Farm
644 Scarboro Highway, Coopersville
912-536-1582
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
TERRELL COUNTY
Mark's Melon Patch
8580 Albany Hwy, Dawson
229-697-4750
Pumpkin patch
 
TIFT COUNTY
Rutland Farms
5641 Union Road, Tifton
229-386-5111
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
TROUP COUNTY
Oakhurst Farm
19710 Highway 219, West Point
706-691-5975
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
TURNER COUNTY
Calhoun Produce
5075 Hawpond Road, Ashburn
229-273-1887
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
UNION COUNTY
7M Family Farms LLC
596 Crump Creek Road, Blairsville
706-897-1164
Pumpkin patch
 
UPSON COUNTY
The Rock Ranch
5020 Barnesville Highway, The Rock
706-647-6374
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
WALKER COUNTY
Enchanted Maize Maze at Rock City
271 Chattanooga Valley Road, Flintstone
706-820-2531
Corn maze
 
WAYNE COUNTY
Poppell Farms
1765 Hyma Poppell Loop, Odum
912-586-2215
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
WHITE COUNTY
Goofy Rooster Corn Maze
7264 Highway 75 Alt., Helen
706-878-1777
Corn maze
 
North Georgia Corn Maze
559 Tom Bell Road, Cleveland
800-959-1874
Corn maze
 
WHITFIELD COUNTY
Freeman Springs Farm
3895 Freeman Springs Road, Rocky Face
706-673-4090
Pumpkin patch, corn maze
 
WILKES COUNTY
Moore Acres
1277 Tignall Road, Washington
706-678-5705
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Autumn Agritourism Destinations Abound in Georgia

A sneak peek at the Oct. 2 issue ...

There's something magical about Oct. 1.
"Everybody wants to be outside again," said Jeff Manley, president of Georgia Agritourism Association. "They've been hiding from the dog days of August and September, and they want to go back out and take a hayride, build a fire and eat a s'more."
He estimates there are more than 150 fall farm destinations in Georgia, including corn mazes, pumpkin patches and pick-your-own crops.

Want to read more of this story? Log in with your subscriber number to view the Oct. 2 issue online, or click here to subscribe today!

Find corn maze and pumpkin patch destinations in your area:

Bartow County
Pettit Creek Farms
337 Cassville Road, Cartersville
770-386-8688
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Pumpkin Patch Farms
230 Old Dixie Highway NW, Adairsville
770-773-2617
Pumpkin patch

Berrien County
Amaze-N-Cane
7247 Old Valdosta Road, Nashville
229-396-1397
Corn maze

Brooks County
Lawson Peaches
8545 Valdosta Highway, Morven
229-775-2581
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Carroll County
Ole McDermitt's Farm
102 Baxter Road, Carrollton
678-850-8948
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Chatham County
Bamboo Forest & Coastal Gardens
2 Canebrake Road, Savannah
912-921-5460
Pumpkin patch

Ottawa Farms
702 Bloomingdale Road, Bloomingdale
912-748-3035
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Cherokee County
Berry Patch Farm
786 Arnold Mill Road, Woodstock
770-926-0561
Pumpkin patch

Big Springs Farm
2100 Sugar pike Road, Woodstock
678-899-3900
Pumpkin patch

Cagle's Family Farm
355 Stringer Road, Canton
770-345-5591
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Cobb County
Corn on the Cobb
5630 Macland Road, Powder Springs
678-283-6951
Pumpkin patch

Coweta County
Uncle Bob's Tricky Crop Maze
3781 E. Happy Valley Circle, Newnan
770-253-8100
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Dawson County
Bradley's Pumpkin Patch
55 Lawrence Drive, Dawsonville
770-380-3632
Pumpkin patch

Buck's Corn Maze
1923 New Hope Road, Dawsonville
706-344-8834
Corn maze

Burt's Farm
4801 Highway 52, Dawsonville
706-265-3701
Pumpkin patch

Uncle Shuck's Corn Maze
4525 Highway 53 East, Dawsonville
678-637-1958
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Decatur County
Spring Hill Tree Farm
795 Woodhull Road, Bainbridge
229-246-2231
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Effingham County
Madrac Farm
580 Ralph Rohn Road, Rincon
912-704-7651
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Forsyth County
Warbington Farms
5555 Crowe Road, Cumming
770-380-2920
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Gilmer County
Huckleberry Holler Corn Maze
165 Soccerfield Road, Ellijay
706-276-3535
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Gordon County
Payne Farms
204 Salem Road, Calhoun
678-986-6366
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Gwinnett County
Buford Corn Maze
4470 Bennett Road, Buford
678-835-7198
Corn maze

Corn Dawgs
110 Leona Avenue, Loganville
770-786-9000
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Harbins Corn Maze
774 Will Wages Road, Dacula
678-758-4604
Corn maze

Habersham County
Jaemor Farms
5340 Cornelia Highway, Alto
770-869-3999
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Hall County
Kinsey Family Farm
7170 Jot 'Em Down Road, Gainesville
770-887-6028
Pumpkin patch

Haralson County
Steadman Farms
3238 Steadman Road, Tallapoosa
770-574-2611
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Henry County
Southern Belle Farm
1767 Turner Church Road, McDonough
770-288-2582
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Yule Forest
3565 Highway 155 N, Stockbridge
770-945-9356
Pumpkin patch

Jenkins County
Hootie's Corn Maze
1265 Old Louisville Road, Millen
706-466-1115
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Laurens County
TroupCorn
105 Marie Church Road, Dublin
478-272-8170
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Lowndes County
Raisin' Cane
3350 Newsome Road, Valdosta
229-559-7652
Corn maze

Monroe County
Twin Oaks Fun Farm
1946 Johnstonville Road, Forsyth
678-544-0756
Pumpkin patch

Newton County
Mitcham Farms-Colonel Cob's
797 Macedonia Church Road, Oxford
770-786-8805
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Oconee County
Washington Farms
5671 Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville
706-254-6736
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Peach County
Lane Southern Orchards
50 Lane Road, Fort Valley
478-825-3592
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Pickens County
Kernel Kob Corn Maze
1153 Salem Church Road, Jasper
706-253-5588
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Yahoo Farms
4729 Waleska Highway 108, Jasper
770-735-3638
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Polk County
Carlton Farms
1276 Cartersville Highway, Rockmart
770-546-5179
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Putnam County
Crooked Pines Farm
355 Harmony Road, Eatonton
706-347-0274
Pumpkin patch

Southern Manor Farm
621 Wards Chapel Road, Eatonton
706-830-3937
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Rabun County
Hillside Orchards
105 Mitcham Circle, Tiger
706-782-4995
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Screven County
Freeman's Family Farm
644 Scarboro Highway, Coopersville
912-536-1582
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Terrell County
Mark's Melon Patch
8580 Albany Highway, Dawson
229-697-4750
Pumpkin patch

Tift County
Rutland Farms
5641 Union Road, Tifton
229-386-5111
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Troup County
Oakhurst Farm
19710 Highway 219, West Point
706-691-5975
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Turner County
Calhoun Produce
5075 Hawpond Road, Ashburn
229-273-1887
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Upson County
The Rock Ranch
5020 Barnesville Highway, The Rock
706-647-6374
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Walker County
Enchanted Maize Maze at Rock City
271 Chattanooga Valley Road, Flintstone
706-820-2531
Corn maze

Wayne County
Poppell Farms
1765 Hyma Poppell Loop, Odum
912-586-2215
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

White County
Goofy Rooster corn Maze
7264 Highway 75 Alt., Helen
706-878-1777
Corn maze

North Georgia Corn Maze
559 Tom Bell Road, Cleveland
800-959-1874
Corn maze

Whitfield County
Freeman Springs Farm
3895 Freeman Springs Road, Rocky Face
706-673-4090
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Wilkes County
Moore Acres
1277 Tignall Road, Washington
706-678-5705
Pumpkin patch, corn maze

Grower Finds Success in Pick-Your-Own Farm Venture

Originally published in the July 24, 2013, issue 

Though his wife grew up on a farm in Iowa, Jack Morgan didn’t have any agricultural experience until a little more than 20 years ago. When he retired from the armed forces, the Morgans moved to Canton, Ga., and decided to plant some apple trees.

 

“Then I went to blueberries. I started out with about 12 blueberry bushes and they did well,” Jack Morgan said. “Then I multiplied it and we went up to probably 100 bushes. … So then I put in some blackberries.”

Producer Jack Morgan examining his blueberry bushes on
the farm in Canton, Ga. Photo by Dallas Duncan

 

Now, what started out as a small hobby farm is a flourishing pick-your-own agritourism enterprise. The Morgans’ property, nestled in the cool north Georgia property, is full of blueberry and blackberry bushes, apple trees, two bee hives, an experimental plot of corn, some grape vines and more. It’s dotted with ornamental horticulture plants propagated by Mary Jo Morgan, who was Cherokee County’s first Master Gardener.

 

“Farming was new to Jack because he grew up in Detroit,” Mary Jo Morgan said. “But he’s always had a knack for it.”

 

Though not all the crops are up for grabs by the public, The Berry Barn has been a pick-your-own farm for about 16 years.

 

“People that come out really enjoy it,” Jack Morgan said. “Sometimes they’ll bring their picnic. We do a little bit with the special needs children. They come out and pick and it gives me something to do so I’m not just sitting around.”

 

He said opening this type of business has been “exceedingly” popular. His picking times are appointment only, and he ends up having to turn people away.

Blackberries are just one of the crops visitors can take home
from pick-your-own farms like The Berry Barn in Canton,
Ga. Photo by Dallas Duncan

 

“I get about 20 phone calls a day, and I would say there’s probably at least 100 that come out,” Jack Morgan said. “We have a good time, and it keeps us busy.”

 

There are roughly 125 pick-your-own farms listed in Georgia, said Cindy Norton, agritourism manager for the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The most popular crops grown on these farms are berries – blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.

 

Jack Morgan said blueberries are the most popular crop people pick at The Berry Barn. They’re perfectly ripe when they’re a deep, navy blue color, but if picked while still slightly red, they will ripen up after a day or two.

 

When it comes to starting a blueberry crop, he advises starting out with three bushes of at least two varieties. The first year they need water, but after that, he said they’re almost entirely self-sufficient. They do need acidic soil and though they work well in the sun, they do not need full sunlight to be successful.

 

In addition to the picking enterprise, the barn itself is home to a small farm store where visitors can pick up their buckets and browse homemade jams, jellies, orchard honey and Mary Jo’s watercolor artwork.

 

Many adult pickers bring their kids with them, and the Morgans have something special on those occasions – a blackberry plant children can take home and grow themselves.

 

“These grow very well – in other words, easy,” Jack Morgan said. “I hate to give children something they put in the ground and it dies.”

A visitor to The Berry Barn in Canton,
Ga., picks blueberries in mid-July.
Blueberries are one of the most popular
pick-your-won crops in Georgia. Photo
by Dallas Duncan

Norton advises producers who want to create a pick-your-own operation to check with their local government, Extension services and farm insurance agent to determine additional regulations, requirements and liabilities. For those who don’t already farm but are interested in following the Morgan’s hobby pick-your-own model, she said to see what such farms exist in the area already, visit them and ask their advice.

 

“Separate your you-pick from your commercial growing sites so there will not be any confusion,” Norton said. “Look at what you might need: bags and buckets; scales if done by weight; water, restrooms, payment methods.”

 

She said visiting pick-your-own operations is an opportunity to experience the farm, especially for consumers who aren’t able to grow in their own backyard or apartment garden.

 

“You are able to take your kids to see where their food comes from, have a little physical activity and spend time together that will create a lifetime of memories,” Norton said. “It supports our local farmers and best of all, it’s Georgia-grown!”