Whether you live in the heart of Atlanta or the deep in the North Georgia mountains, you're never very far from one of the celebrated local farms sprinkled throughout the state. With fertile soil, a long growing season and a temperate to subtropical climate, it's no wonder that every year Georgia farmers produce a vast array of highly prized crops.
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Keep it local and experience this Southern bounty for yourself by taking a tour at a farm near you. You'll spend the day surrounded by the sights and sounds of farm life, learn about local agricultural heritage and savor the best home-grown produce that Georgia has to offer.
Red Oak Lavender Farm
2882 Red Oak Flats Road, Dahlonega. 706-974-8230. redoaklavender.com. Free.
You don't need to fly all the way to France to surround yourself with fragrant fields of lavender. Just head a little north to Red Oak Lavender Farm in Dahlonega. They offer tours all year long that include exploring the rows of lavender, learning about the essential oil distilling process and tasting lavender honey produced right on the farm.
Red Apple Barn
3379 Tailscreek Road, Ellijay. 706-635-5898. redapplebarn.com. $6 per person.
Right in the heart of Georgia's apple country you'll find Red Apple Barn, which offers families and groups of all sizes a chance to see what it's like to roam among the apple trees. A typical tour begins at the hay field, takes you through the orchard where you can pick an apple, winds around the pumpkin patch and ends back at the barn for a cup of cold cider.
Credit: Courtesy of Loganberry Heritage Farm
Credit: Courtesy of Loganberry Heritage Farm
Loganberry Heritage Farm
2660 Adair Mill Road, Cleveland. 706-348-6068. loganberryheritagefarm.com. $20 per person.
Located in the rolling hills of North Georgia, Loganberry Heritage Farm offers individual and group tours - along with field trip opportunities - throughout the year. Loganberry's two-hour farm tour takes you on an informative, behind-the-scenes experience where you will learn about the polyculture system used on the farm, see grass-fed animals up close and enjoy a few farm snacks.
Credit: Courtesy of Georgia Department of Economic Development
Credit: Courtesy of Georgia Department of Economic Development
Mountain Fresh Creamery
6615 Cleveland Highway, Clermont. 770-983-1666. mountainfreshcreamery.com. $7 per person.
Looking for a local dairy offering non-homogenized dairy products? On the Mountain Fresh Creamery tour, you'll learn the ins and outs of dairy production, tour the family-run facility and enjoy a delicious scoop of chocolate or vanilla ice cream made onsite. Kids will even receive a goody bag to take home.
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Hillside Orchard Farms
18 Sorghum Mill Drive, Lakemont, 706-782-2776. hillsideorchard.com.
Providing Georgia with more than 30 years of apple-picking fun, Hillside Orchard Farms offers an unforgettable experience that's perfect for the whole family. You'll get a chance to explore the u-pick apple orchard, find your way out of a corn maze, take a relaxing hayride, mine for gemstones and feed a herd of nanny goats.
Credit: Courtesy of Dickey Farms
Credit: Courtesy of Dickey Farms
Dickey Farms
3440 Musella Road, Musella, 478-836-4362. gapeaches.com/farm-tours.
Discover Georgia's rich history surrounding the peach, see the entire growing process from start to finish and savor the sweet taste of perfection at Dickey Farms. Tours run from May through August and include a guided tour of the grounds and a cup or cone of farm-fresh Georgia peach ice cream.
Southern Belle Farm
1658 Turner Church Road, McDonough. 770-288-2582. southernbellefarm.com/field-trips. $10 per person.
You'll learn everything you need to know about local agriculture at Southern Belle Farm, with its gorgeous 330-acre "classroom" in McDonough. Tours include learning about and picking seasonal fruit, a milking demonstration, a honeybee exhibit, a hayride, meeting farm animals and more.
White Oak Pastures
101 Church Street, Bluffton, 229-641-2081. whiteoakpastures.com/experience/farm-tours. $10 per person (5 person minimum for guided tour).
See White Oak Pastures' renowned holistic animal practices for yourself by taking a guided tour. By appointment only, this hour-long walking tour will show you the poultry and red meat abattoirs along with a leather workshop, pet chew production, tallow room and general store.
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