Tag Archives: family farm

Mae’s on the Corner in Barnesville Is a Farm Stand Built on Sourdough, Hard Work, and Community

Posted on by

Barnesville, GA |

Allie Andrews is someone who has a lot going on. She, her husband, and three kids run and operate a family farm in Lamar County that includes hay, poultry, and beef cattle. But as if that weren’t enough, Allie’s newest venture is Mae’s on the Corner — a small farm stand that has quickly become a community favorite.

“Mae’s on the Corner is about a two-acre vegetable garden where we grow all sorts of veggies — from tomatoes to black-colored sweet corn, squash, zucchini, green beans, butter beans,” said Andrews. “Along with Mae’s on the Corner, we have our shack, and in our shack, I love to personalize things for friends, family, and our community. We do sourdough bread, sourdough cookies, cinnamon rolls, an herb mix for the bread, and blueberry muffins.”

BORN FROM A PERSONAL JOURNEY

The baked goods didn’t start with a business plan — they came out of a personal health journey. But once friends and family got a taste, they encouraged Andrews to sell, and from there, things moved quickly.

“In February of last year, I had a little pop-up table in the front yard starting at six in the morning for teachers and people heading to school and work, and I sold out within about an hour,” Andrews said. “Every month after that — either the first or second Monday or Tuesday — I’d pop up my table, and it just grew from there.”

A TRUE TEAM EFFORT

What started as a table of baked goods has grown into a full farm stand experience, with fresh produce from their garden added thanks to the involvement of the whole family. For Andrews, that’s not just a convenience — it’s a conviction.

“We are raising the next generation to take over, and I can’t say that’s always the mindset on some farms. We want our kids to know we work for everything we get,” Andrews said. “If we’re not training up our kids — if we’re not allowing them to pick with us, plant with us, ride the tractor — who’s going to learn behind us? I think it’s just the coolest way to have them on the front lines, seeing it, putting in the hard work, understanding discipline. And in that discipline, you get to see the reward of the harvest.”

SERVING THE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND

For Andrews, Mae’s on the Corner has become more than a farm stand — it’s a way to serve the community she lives and works in. And now, as a member of the Georgia Farm Bureau Certified Farm Market program, that reach has grown considerably, drawing visitors from across the state.

“I hope that people gain the understanding that there’s a lot of work that goes into it, and they can appreciate shopping local because of that work,” Andrews said. “We have people with the passport that have come from Milledgeville, Athens, North Georgia, South Georgia, east, west — they’re all popping into these little shops and markets and shopping local. And to hear someone in the grocery store or at church say, ‘Hey, we stopped by your stand — you have the cutest setup,’ that means everything.”

For Allie Andrews, Mae’s on the Corner is proof that a pop-up table in the front yard, a loaf of sourdough, and a whole lot of heart can grow into something that feeds an entire community.

By: John Holcomb

From Dairy to Sod: Georgia Farm Bureau’s Bernard Sims Reflects on a Lifetime of Farming

Posted on by

Ringgold, GA |

Around here, the day still starts with a ride across the farm. There are pastures to check, land to look over, and work that never really goes away. For Bernard Sims, this has been home for decades. And while one leadership chapter is coming to a close, he says the timing was right.

“My mind’s good, but my body’s beginning to fail me. It was time to get out of the way and let somebody younger come on and take care of it,” Sims said.

STILL ON THE FARM — JUST IN A DIFFERENT ROLE

But stepping away from a board position doesn’t mean Bernard is stepping away from agriculture. The farm is still very much a part of his daily life — even if these days, he’s quick to point out, he’s more or less an onlooker.

“I have a son that actually runs the operation now. I just work with them wherever they need me. If they need me to drive something, that’s what I do,” Sims said. “Physically, I’m not able to do as much as I used to — by far.”

BUILT ON THE FARM, NOT IN A BOARDROOM

That work ethic was forged early. After a couple years of college and a stint working in a foundry, Sims decided there was a better way to live — and came back to start dairying. That decision shaped nearly four decades of his life, defined by early mornings, long hours, and work that doesn’t take days off.

“When I started, we were raising about sixty-five calves. And as time went on, you either had to get bigger or get out — and now the dairies are huge. The mechanization’s come along to help them too,” Sims said.

While many know Bernard Sims for his years of service with Georgia Farm Bureau, his foundation was never built in a meeting room or around a board table. It was built here — through early mornings, long days, and a life spent doing the work himself.

A PIVOT TO SOD

Eventually, Bernard and his family made the move out of dairy and into sod farming. Part of that decision was business, part of it was timing, and part of it was watching the world around his farm slowly start to change.

“We began to get so many neighbors. We had never had any problems, but it seemed like it was coming,” Sims said. “And I felt like it was time for us to get into something else while we still could manage it ourselves — without being forced or told what to do with it. I had two sons with me, and to support three families, I didn’t think we had enough land at the time to do it with traditional farming. The only thing I could see was sod farming — and it has worked out well for us.”

STILL PRODUCTIVE, STILL PASSIONATE

Still, Bernard worries about what farming is becoming — not because agriculture isn’t moving forward, but because the farming life he knew is getting harder to find. Even so, the work itself remains a source of deep satisfaction.

“I just love being out here on the farm. I see so many young men coming in here to talk, and they look at me and say, ‘You still working?’ And I say, ‘Yeah — the good Lord said be productive. And that’s what I’m trying to do,'” Sims said with a laugh.

For Bernard Sims, the chapter titles may be changing, but the story — the one written in early mornings, long days, and a lifetime of love for the land — is far from over.

By: Ray D’Alessio

Rep. Angie O’Steen Brings a Farmer’s Perspective to Georgia’s State Capitol

Posted on by

Ambrose, GA |

Agriculture wasn’t always part of Representative Angie O’Steen’s plan. But after marrying into a farming family in South Georgia, she quickly gained a firsthand appreciation for the industry — and the vital role it plays in rural communities across the state.

“I grew up in Jeff Davis County. I’m an only child, and I had never been on a farm before I married Danny,” O’Steen said. “I married Danny, went to nursing school, and started working on our farm — what I considered working, which was hauling tobacco for his daddy. His dad grew vegetables, peanuts, some corn, and tobacco.”

FINDING HER VOICE UNDER THE GOLD DOME

Now serving in the Georgia House of Representatives for District 169, O’Steen says those early experiences on the farm have shaped her perspective as a lawmaker and driven her to be a stronger voice for agriculture in Atlanta.

“I realized really quickly that there were a whole lot of relationships I was not a part of yet. Thankfully, I got placed on the Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee, Public Health and Rural Development — all of those. I’m a nurse by trade, so I speak those languages,” O’Steen said. “But I realized that agriculture really didn’t have very many advocates in Atlanta.”

RELATIONSHIPS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE

For O’Steen, effective advocacy means building relationships across the board — with colleagues from both parties, and even with the lobbyists who help inform legislation on complex issues.

“You have to make relationships on both sides of the aisle, whether Republican or Democrat. But you also have to make relationships with the lobbyists that are there,” she said. “In my experience, the lobbyists are our best friends, because you can’t be an expert in everything — even in agriculture. There are things going on in the state that I’m not aware of. When bills come up, they are great resources to help educate me and my colleagues on legislation that’s coming up, or even on concerns that may not be a bill yet.”

PROTECTING THE FAMILY FARM

At the heart of O’Steen’s work in the legislature is a clear priority: protecting the family farm. With economic pressures continuing to mount for farmers and producers across the state, she knows the stakes firsthand.

“We’re not growing very much cotton this year because you can’t afford to lose several hundred dollars an acre before you ever even start growing it — you’re losing money before you even get it out of the ground,” O’Steen said. “My priority would be taking care of agriculture and working with my colleagues in the House who speak my language, and figuring out what kind of policy we can create to ensure the future of the farm.”

For a lawmaker who came to farming by way of marriage and a nursing career, Representative O’Steen has become one of agriculture’s most committed voices in the state capitol — and for Georgia’s rural communities, that advocacy couldn’t come at a more critical time.

By: John Holcomb

Small, Family Operation Specializes in Pure Bred Scottish Highland Cattle

Posted on by

Thomson, GA |

After years of raising horses, the Crawford family made the decision four years ago to purchase their first Pure Bred Scottish Highland. Ever since, they’ve worked tirelessly to expand their herd to what is now twenty five of these unique cattle. It’s a decision that the Crawfords didn’t take lightly but is one they certainly don’t regret.

“Initially, I was drawn to just how amazing they look, they’re beautiful cows, but then as I learned more about them, I discovered that they’re perfect for families that have less acreage than traditional cattle farms. So maybe five to ten acres. They’re very easy keepers. They’re actually considered true ruminants, similar to goats. So yes, we do have to feed them hay, and we have to make sure that they have enough grass. However, they’ll eat trees, they’ll eat vines. So, they kind of care for themselves. They’re just a hardy breed, and what really spoke to me is their longevity. With Highland cows, they live up until their early twenties, and it’s not uncommon for them to reproduce up until that time,” says Vanessa Crawford, Owner of Crawford’s Double O Farm.

Of course, just like with any other livestock, they do come with challenges, the most notable of course are their thick coats, but Crawford says that they have adapted well to Georgia’s climate and says they also take measures to make sure they stay comfortable.

“What we discovered is here near Augusta, during the months of July and Augusta, it became more challenging for them. Like, they didn’t really want to eat more during the day. So, we ended up installing sprinklers, and that was a game changer. So, we have several sprinklers ready to go as soon as it starts warming up, like today. We always make sure they have access to a good water source and that their water troughs are always very clean, but otherwise they’ve adapted. So, the girls that we’ve had here for now, three or four years, their coats do start to thin out. They keep the dossen and they keep all the hair on their legs, but the coats on their bodies, they actually start to thin out and so I think they adapt,” says Crawford.

As much as Crawford says she enjoys their farm and their Scottish Highlands, there’s one thing in particular she says she loves most, and that’s the fact that their operation is a family one, which as you can see is very much the case, as the entire Crawford family works to keep the farm running.

“It’s all hands-on deck, as they say. So, the children help me with feeding the cows. My daughter, who is ten years old, she will help me work with the youngest calves, but she also helps me halter train them. She’s helped me milk the cows, any veterinary care that we can do on the farm we’ve done together. Moving the cows; we do as a family. There’s only four of us. When we have farm visits, it’s just the four of us doing the farm visits. We don’t hire anybody to come out and help with stuff, so she does dragging. So does my son, dragging the pasture. This year, she’s going to start bush hogging. I mean, the kids are very much involved in everything,” says Crawford.

By: John Holcomb