Whether it’s hopping on a hayride, getting lost in a corn maze or picking the perfect pumpkin, fall is fun at Southern Belle Farm in McDonough. It’s a far cry from the hardscrabble life of J.A. Carter, the sharecropper who scraped together enough money to buy a part of the 330 acres that now comprise the agritourism/educational operation designed to entertain and teach adults and children about farm life and the origins of their food.
“We're at least two to three generations removed from the family farm and people do have a curiosity about how their crops are grown and how their food is produced,” says Jake Carter, J.A. Carter’s great-grandson.
Seasonal activities that include pig races, jumping pillows, you-pick fruits and flowers, and Belle’s Barnstormer—a giant, multi-lane burlap sack slide, draw people from throughout metro Atlanta and surrounding states. “Everything is focused around families coming out spending time together and creating an experience,” Jake said.
A fall favorite is the corn maze created with a software program that guides tractors through the four-acre field planted to resemble graph paper. This year’s maze honors the 2021 National Champion Georgia Bulldogs. And while people do occasionally get lost, farm staff is always available for rescues. There’s no doubt J.A. Carter would be amused. “That would be unusual to him to grow a pretty field of corn and then cut out half of it so that people can walk through it,” Jake said. “He would find it interesting that people actually pay hard-earned money to walk through a cornfield.”
When school tours visit the farm, it’s Jake’s turn to be amused when the children get their first whiff of the farm and react with ‘Ewwww!’ “They smell smells that they don't smell in the city,” Jake said. And during visits to the dairy barn, when asked where milk comes from, Jake said the kids eagerly raise their hands to say Publix and Kroger. “It's a real opportunity to educate those young consumers,” he said.
The farm’s Country Market is filled with seasonal produce as well as jams and jellies made with fruit grown at Southern Belle. Mimi’s Bakery inside the market offers homemade ice cream and other seasonal goodies. Jake remembers the Michigan couple who flew to Atlanta, rented a convertible and drove to the farm just to eat strawberry shortcake. Favored fall treats are fried pies and apple cider donuts.
While Southern Belle has evolved through generations of the Carter family, its future rests with the next generation including Jake and his wife Jennifer’s three children—Carson, Kennedy and Coan. They are the fifth generation to grow up on this land and enjoy farm life. “My dad allowed me to develop and change the farm to agritourism, which was a great fit for this community. I want to continue to give the freedom and flexibility to the next generation to decide what it will be, Jake said.
For more information about Southern Belle Farm, visit www.southernbellefarm.com
