We are excited to welcome Hickory Hill Farm, owned and operated by Susan and Gary Shaw in Oglethorpe County, GA (see Gary in the photo above). They are providing us with farm fresh produce for our meal kits and groceries, and we can't wait for you to try it!
Wow! Your farm has been around for seven generations. Can you tell us more about your farm and how it got started?
Yes. Susan's family moved to this area from Virginia in the 1780s and has been here ever since. The piece of land we are on was a land grant to the Tiller family in 1852. It was first farmed and a home built by Susan's Great-great-grandfather's aunt. It was later deeded to her Great-Great-Grandfather after the passing of his aunt. It was acquired in the early 1900s by her great-grandfather, who built our home in 1912 and started our homestead. Her grandmother and grandfather purchased it in the mid-1900s and farmed it, and even though it skipped a generation as far as changing ownership, her mother and uncle worked the farm growing up. We moved here in 1998 to care for her grandmother after her grandfather's passing, and we took ownership of it then. Our youngest daughter and her husband, Josh and Jennifer, joined us in 2015 after graduating from UGA. They will inherit the farm. Their children, our grandchildren, make the seventh generation that have put their hands in the dirt and produce food.
What is your favorite kind of produce to grow?
Each season has a different favorite produce. We wait for strawberries in the spring, tomatoes in the summer, kale and sweet potatoes in the fall, and squashes and sunchokes in the winter. However, my favorite is carrots, which we can grow almost year-round.
What do you find is the most rewarding part of farming, as well as the most difficult part?
The most rewarding thing for me is seeing everyone on the farm working together as a team to bring you a great organic product. It takes a team to stay on schedule for fifty-two weeks a year with field prep, planting, weeding, harvesting, packing, delivering, maintenance, and bookkeeping.
The most challenging part of farming is that it is not an exact science. What we do this year may not be successful next year. The weather is constantly changing; from hot to cold to wet to dry. We have failed crops every year.
We first met you at Freedom Farmers Market. How long have you been attending the market there? Can we find you at other farmers markets?
We have been at the Freedom Farmers Market since its inception in 2014. You can find us at Freedom Farmers Market, located at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library year-round, and Athens Farmer's Market, located at Bishop Park, from March through December, both on Saturday mornings. We are at the Athens Farmer's Mid-Week Market located at Creature Comforts Brewery on Wednesday evenings, March through November. You can find our produce at Garnish and Gather, Fresh Harvest and a multitude of the finest restaurants in Atlanta and Athens you can find them listed on our website. hickoryhillorganicfarm.com
What does eating local mean to you?
Eating local and organic means eating healthy and clean to me! I especially love to see people eat in season. Learning not to eat tomatoes in December is hard for some, but savoring what is in season and grown organically and locally is the freshest, healthiest food you can eat. Come to the Freedom Farmers Market on Saturdays, and we will gladly share all you want about organic farming and healthy eating.
