Taste of the Scenic Route

Rural Heritage: Jerry Connell, president of Georgia Grown Trail 37, at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton. | Photo credit: David Parks

Drive along two-lane country roads. Stop in quaint small towns. Pick your own fresh fruits and flowers. Pet furry llamas. Roam in pristine lavender farms. Ride a scenic railroad. Savor local honey. And cozy up in a yurt in the mountains. If you are dreaming of getting outside and creating gratifying memories in nature, the Georgia Grown Trails are waiting for you. In a world full of distractions, this innovative agritourism initiative aims to bring people back to their roots and enable them to experience a slow-paced, close-to-nature lifestyle.

New Opportunities: Cheryl Smith, agritourism manager at the Georgia Department of Agriculture. | Photo credit: Stan Kaady

The trails were the brainchild of former Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, who, in partnership with Georgia Department of Economic Development, wanted to create a way to boost local tourism and bring together the businesses that were scattered along southern Georgia, according to Jerry Connell, former head of the Adel-Cook County Chamber of Commerce. With a mission to showcase Georgia’s farming heritage and emphasize the beauty and abundance of what the state produces, agritourism gives small businesses an opportunity to show visitors how they work and live.

Cheryl Smith, agritourism manager at the Georgia Department of Agriculture, says the trails have not only opened up new opportunities for families to learn about the state’s food systems, but they have also increased interest in agritourism in general. Smith’s department supports Georgia Grown, a marketing and economic development program, which helps connect

consumers who want to support businesses in their community with producers selling locally grown products. Agribusinesses that are certified as Georgia Grown are listed in a statewide database and receive special advertising rates and other perks. The Georgia Grown Trails help bring additional business by attracting both out of town travelers and state residents.

Award Winning Products: The Honey Shack in Homerville. | Photo credit: contributed

“There’s been a great positive impact on rural areas as a result. We are finding that Georgia not only has the sweetest peaches, we have very good quality olive oil, honey and wine. And we have been able to showcase our agriculture-associated heritage sites, such as the Cotton Museum in Vienna, Peanut Monument in Ashburn and Vidalia Onion Museum in Vidalia,” says Smith.

“In the last several years, agriculture in Georgia has gone through monumental changes,” says Sam Zamarripa, a former state senator who is now the proprietor of Doghobble Vineyard and Farm in Dahlonega. “Our economy has gone from pines, pecans, olives, satsuma [and] hemp to wine. Today, farms are smaller and more specialized. As the agritourism and farm industries continue to grow, people who had never farmed before, such as myself, are finding interesting opportunities in the wine industry.”

Regarding the importance of Georgia Grown Trails, he adds, “Locally grown food and wine are essential to Georgia’s culture, economy and environmental sustainability. They reflect the unique character of the land, support regional businesses and foster community connections around our remarkable agricultural traditions.”

Trail 37: Southern Georgia

The World’s largest peanut monument in Ashburn, Georgia. | Photo credit: contributed

Prior to 2014, there were memorials and scenic highways in the state but no agritourism-branded highways until Trail 37 became the first branded agricultural trail in Georgia. It runs 157 miles along Georgia Highway 37 (trails are named for the highways they follow) crossing through nine counties – from Homerville in Clinch County to Fort Gaines in Clay County – and is home to wineries, distilleries, olive farms, state parks, restaurants and farm tours. It was co-founded by Connell and Crissy Staley, former executive director of the Berrien County Chamber of Commerce and Development Authority.

“We wanted to let people know where their food comes from, while they eat pecans from bags, take an old-fashioned hayride, drink a glass of slushie and enjoy a day out in the countryside,” says Connell, who still serves as the president of the Georgia Grown Trail 37 Association.

Today, there are 25 stops along Trail 37. Travelers can shop for fresh produce at Luck & Moody Peaches in Barney, visit historic sites like a 150-year-old train depot in Homerville, engage in outdoor activities at places like Kolomoki Mounds State Park in Blakely, stay at a 1935-era art deco building repurposed into Our Place, a rustic and elegant boutique hotel, and eat farm-to-table cuisine at White Oak Pastures in Bluffton, which has become the largest organic farm in the state. In addition to enjoying a seasonal meal at the farm’s restaurant, aptly called The Farmers Table, visitors can shop for free-range poultry, grass-fed meats and artisanal products and stay overnight at on-farm cabins or the nearby RV park.

Former Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black cuts the ribbon at the 2014 opening of Trail 37, alongside Trail 37 President Jerry Connell and Georgia Rep. Penny Houston (R-Nashville). | Photo credit: contributed

Other stops on Trail 37 include The Honey Shack on Highway 41 in Homerville, where you can taste fresh honeycomb and award-winning wildflower and rare gallberry honey. Once just a hobbyist bee shack, the family-owned business now has more than 2,000 hives, a warehouse and distribution facility. Down the road, shop for classy gifts, clothes and home-and-garden décor at the historic Avriett House.

About 30 minutes west, in Ray City, you’ll find Little Duck Farms, a third-generation family business, where you can purchase South Georgia candied and salted pecans and pecan products such as cookies and pecan oil. At the Farmers Market of Nashville in Berrien County, buy homemade treats, such as layered cakes, luscious pies and pickle rollups directly from enterprising vendors.

Peaches at Dickey Farms in Musella. | Photo credit: contributed

For a fun day of fruit picking, head about 16 miles north to Southern Grace Farms in Enigma, where you can pick your own strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, citrus and sunflowers, depending on what’s in season. Then sit down at one of the picnic areas with a scoop of ice cream made with fresh fruit and let your two- and four-legged family members roam free at the large playground.

If you want to have a quiet night by the lake or canoe in the relaxing waters, make reservations at George T. Bagby State Park and Lodge. For a resort-style getaway, stay at a luxurious lodge and cabin surrounded by oak trees, play a round of golf and fish for largemouth bass, crappie or bream at one of the lakes on the property.

Be sure stop at some vineyards along the way. The family-run Still Pond Vineyard and Distillery in Calhoun County offers vineyard tours where you can taste 19 kinds of sweet muscadine wines, peach- and muscadine-flavored moonshine and distilled spirits. On the other end of the trail, Horse Creek Winery’s 40-acre vineyard in Sparks offers magical scenery and muscadine wine as well as fruit-flavored varieties like peach, watermelon, strawberry, blackberry and blueberry wines.

Cows are among many animals seen at the farm at Calhoun Produce in Ashburn. | Photo credit: contributed

Wineries remain a popular feature along the Georgia Grown Trails, so make sure to account for some time for a visit to a tasting room. The vineyards in the southern part of the state, such as those found on Trail 37, will have mostly muscadine wines, while the northern part of the state will include other varietals like chardonnay, merlot and cabernet.

Other Trails Have Much to Offer

Expect a wide variety of experiences along the other five trails that take you across the state. On Trail 1, which runs from Augusta to Folkston, you will find the finest Vidalia onions, pecans and peanuts. Trail 17 – also known as the Georgia Oyster Trail – stretches from Kingsland to Savannah and offers a unique coastal experience with sea farms, museums, microbreweries and, of course, oysters, both farmed and wild, at places like E.L McIntosh & Son Oyster Company in Townsend and Georgia Sea Grill on St. Simons Island.

Sam Zamarripa, a former state senator who owns both Doghobble Wine Farm and Familia Vineyards, and his wife Robin, at Horse Creek Winery. | Photo credit: contributed

Visit farm animals, corn mazes and country stores on Trail 41/341. Scenic farmlands scatter from Rossville to Roopville in North Georgia making up Trail 27. Trail 98, spanning from Homer to Cromer, is Northeast Georgia’s newest trail and includes family farms, a distillery, a brewery and more. Travelers can find plenty of signs along state and country roads and download the free Georgia Grown Trails app to discover the agricultural bounty of the state.

Many businesses are finding the additional exposure they’ve received from the Georgia Grown Trails has had a positive impact on their sales. Connell says that’s because when travelers see and taste Georgia’s agriculture products, they usually want to buy them. For example, due to customer demand, the old-fashioned butcher shop Carroll’s Sausage & Country Store in Ashburn now offers more than 40 varieties of pork and beef sausages.

The history, wine, art and activities along the Georgia Grown Trails give travelers of all ages a reason to go out of their way for a tasty adventure. Connell advises travelers to build their itinerary around a specific attraction and pick a couple of places to stop on the way back. “The Georgia Grown Trail experience is not about seeing everything in a day, but taking a detour every chance you get and having a down-home, feel-good, get-to-know-the-Earth experience,” says Connell.

Coastal Sights: Freshly caught Georgia shrimp, and a fleet of shrimp boats. | Photo credit: contributed