The 50 Best Farms to Visit in Georgia, Ranked (Not One Farm Paid to Be on This List)
In the spring of 2023, Lawton Pearson's family lost most of a year's peaches on their farm outside Fort Valley. The warmest start to a year on record in Georgia, followed by freezing nights at bloom time, destroyed roughly 90% of the state's peach crop. Pearson told NPR the last time it was that bad was 1955. That summer, his peach crew shrank from the usual 250 people to 40.
His family has grown peaches on this land since 1885. Five generations. And one bad March can still wipe out most of a year.
It happened again, on a smaller scale, in March 2026. On March 11 it was 83°F in Fort Valley. A week later it was 27°F, and the early peach varieties took a hit.
Here's the part most people never see. Farms like Pearson's can't control the weather. (Pearson told NPR the business had already diversified, including a growing pecan crop.) What they can control is whether you keep coming through the gate: for pecans in the fall, a cone of peach ice cream on the porch, a look at the packing line. Every visit you make is a vote for the farm still being there next year.
So here's the answer, up front. These are the 50 best farms to visit in Georgia in 2026. They're ranked on a 100-point scorecard built from real visitor reviews, press coverage, history and things to do. We checked about 170 Georgia farms, orchards, dairies, vineyards and ranches. Only 71 passed all our entry tests. The 50 best are below, from No. 1 to No. 50.
And not one farm paid a single cent to be here.
The short answer The best farm to visit in Georgia in 2026 is Jaemor Farms in Alto (81.7 out of 100), followed by Southern Belle Farm in McDonough and Dickey Farms in Musella. For peaches, head to Peach County and next-door Crawford County: Dickey, Lane Southern and Pearson sit within a short drive of each other. For apples, go to Ellijay or Blue Ridge in September and October. For a real horse ranch, book Southern Cross. For a quiet, free walk through history, visit Jimmy Carter's boyhood farm in Plains. |
What you'll find in this guide ✅ The top 10 at a glance, plus a map of all 50 farms ✅ Every farm ranked, with why it made the list, what not to miss and when to go ✅ The best farms near Atlanta, Athens, Macon, Augusta, Columbus, Savannah and along I-75 in South Georgia ✅ A month-by-month calendar for strawberries, peaches, blueberries, apples, pumpkins and Christmas trees ✅ Exactly how we scored every farm, so you can check our work ✅ For farm owners: five lessons from the farms at the top, and Georgia's agritourism law in plain English |
Why Georgia Is One of America's Best States for Farm Visits
Agriculture is Georgia's No. 1 industry. The University of Georgia valued the state's farm gate production at $18.03 billion in 2024, and says farming and the businesses around it support about 370,400 jobs.
Georgia is the nation's No. 1 producer of broilers, peanuts and pecans, and No. 3 in blueberries. And here's a surprise for the Peach State: in 2022, Georgia was third in peaches, behind California and South Carolina. In 2024, Georgia's blueberries were worth about three times as much as its peaches.
Visitors have found these farms. The USDA's 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 742 Georgia farms earning money from agritourism and recreation. That's the 13th-highest number of any state. Together they took in about $31 million, up from $28.1 million in 2017 (before inflation). (We ranked the two biggest agritourism states too: here are the 50 best farms to visit in Texas and the 50 best farms to visit in California.)
And the people running these farms are optimistic. In UGA's 2026 Georgia Agritourism Outlook, 75% of operators said they expect their visitor numbers or profits to grow within five years. (Our roundup of agritourism statistics shows the same story across the country.)
So you're not short of choices. You're short of a trustworthy way to pick one. That's why we did it the hard way.
The Top 10 Farms to Visit in Georgia at a Glance
Short on time? These are the 10 highest scores on our 100-point scorecard. Every farm on this list has at least 4.3 stars on Google from at least 100 reviews, and a story worth the drive.
No. | Farm | Town | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jaemor Farms | Alto | U-pick peaches, berries and flowers |
2 | Southern Belle Farm | McDonough | Peaches, berries and fall fun near Atlanta |
3 | Dickey Farms | Musella | A 1936 peach packinghouse |
4 | Mercier Orchards | Blue Ridge | Apples, cider and orchard tours |
5 | Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm | Plains | A free walk through farm history |
6 | Mountain Fresh Creamery (Glo-Crest Dairy) | Clermont | Dairy tours and fresh milk |
7 | Southern Cross Guest Ranch | Madison | Horseback riding on a horse ranch |
8 | White Oak Pastures | Bluffton | A regenerative farm stay |
9 | Washington Farms | Bogart | Strawberries and a giant fall festival |
10 | Calhoun Produce | Ashburn | Strawberries, a corn maze and a farm lunch |
Map of the 50 Best Farms to Visit in Georgia
Every farm below has a "Map & hours on Google" link for directions and opening hours. Here's where they are.
How We Picked and Ranked These Farms
Every farm had to pass three entry tests before it could be scored:
Open to the public and still operating, with set hours or bookings and recent visitor reviews. Seasonal farms are fine. Farms marked closed were left out.
At least 4.3 stars on Google from 100 or more reviews. This one rule knocked out some famous names.
A real working farm or ranch. Visitors must see crops or animals being raised. Fun parks with a farm theme, zoos, garden centers, fruit stands with no farm to see, and wedding barns didn't count.
Farms that passed were scored out of 100 on eight things. Star ratings and the number of reviews come from Google. Press and awards come from newspapers, magazines and TV. "The experience" measures how much there is to do. We also read recent reviews for rising complaints, and weighed each farm's story, value for money and how easy it is to visit.
Then we balanced the list so every corner of the state is covered, from the Blue Ridge to the coast. We kept wineries to five or fewer so it stays a farm list, and no single farm type has more than nine spots. Ratings were checked on October 22, 2026. On October 27 we checked each farm's 2026 season on its website, social media or in recent news. A few small farms post little online, so we've marked those "call ahead." Ratings change, so we'll recheck this list every six months.
Reality Check: famous isn't the same as good Some of Georgia's best-known pumpkin patches and orchards didn't make the cut. Several sit below 4.3 stars, with recent reviews about crowds, prices or staff. Others turned out to be stores or wedding venues with no farm to see. One farm that scored well, Carlton Farms in Rockmart, isn't running its fall activities or school field trips in 2026, which leaves no visitor season this year, so we left it off. (The Kinsey Family Farm, No. 44, dropped its pumpkins but still runs its main Christmas tree season, so it stays.) A big name is not a guarantee. Read the last three months of reviews, and check the farm's own website, before you drive. |
The 50 Best Farms to Visit in Georgia, Ranked
No. 1: Jaemor Farms, Alto
Score: 81.7/100 · Best for: U-pick peaches, berries and flowers · When to go: Year-round; best April to October
The Echols family planted their first peaches here in 1912. Six generations of the family have now farmed this land, and Explore Georgia says generations three through six still live and work it. The family renamed it Jaemor Farms in 1981, when they opened a roadside market on Highway 365.
It's now about 500 acres, with 32 peach varieties, blackberries, a corn maze and U-pick strawberries, tulips and flowers. The 2026 corn maze was grown as a tribute to Dolly Parton and her Imagination Library. Inside the market there's a bakery and The Eatery.
Don't miss: The fried pies and homemade ice cream, then the fall corn maze.
Good to know: The market is open daily. Hayrides run on fall weekends, and U-pick crops change through the year, so check the farm's site before you go.
No. 2: Southern Belle Farm, McDonough
Score: 81.2/100 · Best for: Peaches, berries and fall fun near Atlanta · When to go: April to July, and mid-September to mid-November
J.A. Carter, a former sharecropper, bought this land in 1938. For decades it was a dairy, with about 350 Holsteins at its peak. The family sold the dairy cows in 1986, and in 2006 they cut their first corn maze and welcomed their first school groups. Today it's a 330-acre working farm about 30 miles south of Atlanta.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture says the farm draws hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, and the farm says more than 30,000 schoolchildren come on field trips. There are 20 peach varieties, a blueberry patch, blackberries, sunflowers and a four-acre corn maze with pig races in the fall. In spring 2026, U-pick strawberries were $6.95 a quart, plus a $1 patch fee.
Don't miss: The June Sunflower Weekend, or the pig races and corn maze in October.
Good to know: Closed Mondays. U-pick is priced separately from activity admission. Fall weekdays are kept for school field trips. Owner Jake Carter was once named a White House "Champion of Change" for agriculture.
No. 3: Dickey Farms, Musella
Score: 80.7/100 · Best for: A 1936 peach packinghouse · When to go: Late May to early August for peaches; April for strawberries; September and October for the corn maze
R.L. Dickey planted his first Elberta peaches in 1897. In 1936, his family built a packinghouse from timber cut on their own land. The farm calls it Georgia's oldest continuously operating peach packinghouse, and the fourth and fifth generations run it today.
Sit in one of the rocking chairs on the heart-pine floor with a peach soft-serve made from the farm's own fruit, and watch the packing line roll. In summer, free packinghouse tours run on weekdays. In fall, there's a corn maze and pumpkin patch on weekends.
Don't miss: Peach ice cream in a rocking chair while the packing line runs.
Good to know: The market is open daily. In 2026 the corn maze cost $15.95 for ages 3 to 59. Musella is in Crawford County, just west of Fort Valley.
No. 4: Mercier Orchards, Blue Ridge
Score: 78.7/100 · Best for: Apples, hard cider and orchard wagon tours · When to go: Mid-August to October for apples; June and July for berries
Bill and Adele Mercier bought a 27-acre orchard and its apple house in 1943. Four generations later it's a 300-acre mountain farm growing more than 40 apple varieties. USA Today 10Best readers voted it the No. 3 apple orchard in America in 2024.
Tractor-drawn wagons tour the orchards all year. There's U-pick fruit, a bakery known for fried pies and cider donuts, a big farm market and a tasting room. Mercier says it's the only orchard in Georgia that grows, presses, ferments and cans its own hard cider.
Don't miss: A fried pie from the bakery, eaten by the free stocked fishing pond near the entrance (bring your own pole).
Good to know: Open daily all year except four holidays. Fall weekends get very busy, so go early or on a weekday.
No. 5: Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm, Plains
Score: 77.4/100 · Best for: A free, quiet walk through farm history · When to go: Year-round; spring and fall are coolest
Jimmy Carter lived on this farm in Archery from 1928, when he was four, until he left for college in 1941. The National Park Service has restored it to how it looked before electricity arrived in 1938.
Walk past the family home, the commissary and the blacksmith shop, and meet the mules, goats and chickens. Sugarcane, cotton, corn and peanuts are grown in season. At audio stations along the path, you hear Carter tell his own childhood stories. In January 2025, his funeral motorcade stopped here one last time.
Don't miss: The audio stations, where Carter describes growing up on this land in his own voice.
Good to know: Free. Start at the visitor center in the old Plains High School, and call ahead for the farm's hours.
No. 6: Mountain Fresh Creamery (Glo-Crest Dairy), Clermont
Score: 76.4/100 · Best for: A real dairy tour and fresh milk · When to go: Year-round
Scott Glover is a fourth-generation dairy farmer. He and his wife, Jennifer, started milking in 2000, opened their own creamery in 2011 and began farm tours in 2014. Their herd of about 210 Holsteins is milked twice a day.
The tour starts at the dairy, where you visit the baby calves in the nursery and see a milking demonstration with a pretend cow named Janie. Then you drive about two miles to the creamery to see how the milk is bottled, and taste whole milk and chocolate milk. The milk is non-homogenized and gently vat-pasteurized.
Don't miss: The chocolate milk at the end of the tour, then a scoop at The Silo ice cream shop, which serves more than 25 flavors.
Good to know: Tours are $10 a person (under 2 free) and must be booked at least 24 hours ahead.
No. 7: Southern Cross Guest Ranch, Madison
Score: 75.9/100 · Best for: Horseback riding on a working horse ranch · When to go: Year-round; best March to May and October to November
This is a working horse farm with more than 150 Paint and Quarter horses. Owner Inge Wendling has bred world champions, and more than two dozen foals are born here most springs. The ranch has been hosting guests for almost 30 years.
Guests on the all-inclusive plan ride twice a day on more than six miles of wooded trails, then sleep in one of 17 post-and-beam rooms. Garden & Gun included it in its roundup of Southern dude ranches.
Don't miss: A spring stay, when the new foals are out in the pastures.
Good to know: Visits are by overnight booking, with riding, non-riding and bed-and-breakfast plans.
No. 8: White Oak Pastures, Bluffton
Score: 73.9/100 · Best for: A regenerative farm stay · When to go: Year-round; March to September to see a cattle move
The Harris family has raised cattle on this land since 1866. In 1995, Will Harris began turning away from industrial methods. Today the farm covers about 3,200 acres, employs 160-plus people and is one of America's best-known regenerative farms.
Take the Saturday walking tour from the General Store, eat the farm's own meat for lunch, and stay the night in one of the Pine Forest Cabins. We wrote a whole case study on what every farmer can learn from White Oak Pastures.
Don't miss: The Saturday 11 a.m. walking tour ($15), then a meal at the General Store.
Good to know: In 2026, cabins were $89 a night Sunday to Thursday. The Saturday tour needs no booking; other activities need 72 hours' notice. Cattle moves aren't shown from October to February.
No. 9: Washington Farms, Bogart
Score: 73.1/100 · Best for: Spring strawberries and a giant fall festival · When to go: April to May, and mid-September to early November
John and Donna Washington, a forester and a teacher, started this farm near Athens in 1993 with no land of their own and no tractor. In their third year, a late frost destroyed about 60% of their strawberries. So they added pumpkins, then more crops, to spread the risk.
Today the fall festival has more than 60 attractions, an 8.5-acre corn maze, pig races, a cow train and a giant slide. In spring, you pick strawberries and finish with the farm's homemade strawberry ice cream.
Don't miss: The pig races, and a cup of strawberry ice cream.
Good to know: Fall tickets are sold online only. In 2026 they started at $13.95 on weekdays and $18.95 on weekends. The pumpkin patch alone needs no ticket.
No. 10: Calhoun Produce, Ashburn
Score: 71.9/100 · Best for: Strawberries, a corn maze and a farm lunch · When to go: March to May, and October
Gerald Calhoun started this South Georgia farm in 1980 by planting butterbeans. More than 40 years on, the family still shells and bags its peas and beans the same day they're picked.
In spring you pick strawberries, meet the animals and visit the Honeybee House. In fall, the corn maze is cut into a new design every year; the 2026 maze celebrates America's 250th birthday with a flag, a bald eagle and the Liberty Bell. There's also a giant playground built around an old combine.
Don't miss: A strawberry milkshake or strawberry lemonade from the Farm Deli.
Good to know: The deli serves lunch from 11 to 2, Monday to Saturday. No pets except service dogs.
Field-Tested Play: visit several farms in one day Georgia's best farms come in clusters. In summer, drive the peach trail around Fort Valley: Dickey Farms (No. 3, just over the line in Crawford County), Lane Southern (No. 15) and Pearson (No. 23) are all within a short drive. In fall, do Ellijay's apple houses in one day: R & A (No. 14), Red Apple Barn (No. 21), Aaron Family (No. 29) and B.J. Reece (No. 33). Along I-75 near Tifton, pair Rutland Farms (No. 27) with Berry Good Farms (No. 28) and the Georgia Museum of Agriculture (No. 16). The regional lists further down make planning easy. |
No. 11: Burt's Pumpkin Farm, Dawsonville
Score: 71.0/100 · Best for: Giant and heirloom pumpkins · When to go: September to early November
Johnny and Kathy Burt started in 1972 with a pumpkin stand in the front yard of Johnny's grandfather's house. Part of the family's original 1826 land now lies inside Amicalola Falls State Park, just up the road.
Today the farm grows up to 150,000 pumpkins a year on about 70 acres, in roughly 30 varieties, from giant prizewinners to blue Jarrahdales and pink ones. The Georgia Legislature proclaimed October 18 as Burt's Farm Day. New for 2026: a 45-foot drive-through pumpkin on the hayride route.
Don't miss: The hayride through the giant pumpkin, then a fresh pumpkin roll from the farm store.
Good to know: Entry and parking are free. Hayrides were $10 a person in 2026, with under-2s free.
No. 12: Southern Grace Farms, Enigma
Score: 70.2/100 · Best for: U-pick fruit almost all year · When to go: March to July; November to January for satsumas
The McMillan family planted their first U-pick strawberries and blackberries in 1999. Brothers Steve and Tim McMillan also run Berrien Peanut Company, and the next generation has come back to the farm.
There's something to pick most of the year: strawberries from March, then blueberries, plums, blackberries and peaches, muscadines in late summer, and satsuma oranges in winter. Kids head straight for what the farm calls the "most unique playground in the South."
Don't miss: Soft-serve made with Georgia-grown fruit after a strawberry pick.
Good to know: U-pick depends on the crop, so check the farm's site first.
No. 13: Fitzgerald Fruit Farms, Woodbury
Score: 70.1/100 · Best for: U-pick strawberries, peaches and farm wines · When to go: April to August
Owner Sean is a first-generation American farmer. His family farms cattle and sheep in Ireland, and "Fitzgerald" is their family farm name there. Secret Atlanta called this the largest first-generation peach operation in Georgia, and it grows more than 400 acres of peaches.
Strawberries were added in 2015, and the farm market and winery opened in 2019. Pick strawberries in spring, buy peaches all summer and taste wines made with the farm's own fruit.
Don't miss: Homemade peach or strawberry ice cream on the porch.
Good to know: Listed hours vary between sources, so check the farm's Facebook page before you drive.
No. 14: R & A Orchards, Ellijay
Score: 69.6/100 · Best for: U-pick apples, flowers and fried pies · When to go: August to October
The market, bakery and cafe here have been running since 1947. Today Andy and Jennifer Futch run it with their four children, on 160 acres of fruit trees, about 140 of them in apples.
Pick apples and cut your own bouquet of zinnias, sunflowers and wildflowers, then ride the tractor through the orchard. The cafe makes 18 kinds of homemade fried pies.
Don't miss: The Cow Train, which the farm calls a family favorite, then a fried pie.
Good to know: The market and bakery are open daily. U-pick runs on weekends in season.
No. 15: Lane Southern Orchards, Fort Valley
Score: 68.8/100 · Best for: Watching Georgia's biggest peach grower at work · When to go: May to August for peaches; spring for strawberries; fall for the corn maze
Lane has grown peaches and pecans since 1908, on about 11,000 acres with 35 peach varieties. It was family-owned for 98 years before an investor group bought it in 2006. It's now Georgia's largest peach grower.
More than 300,000 visitors a year come to the roadside market. From a glass-walled gallery above the packing line, you can watch peaches being washed, graded by camera and boxed. Then it's peach cobbler or peach ice cream in the Peachtree Café.
Don't miss: The packing-line viewing gallery in peach season.
Good to know: Open daily, 9 to 6, all year.
No. 16: ABAC's Georgia Museum of Agriculture, Tifton
Score: 67.9/100 · Best for: A living-history farm village and steam train · When to go: Year-round; spring and fall are best
It opened on July 1, 1976, as the Georgia Agrirama, on 95 acres. Today Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College runs it. More than 35 restored or rebuilt buildings recreate an 1870s farm community and an 1890s farmstead, and more than 75,000 people visit every year.
Costumed interpreters bring the village to life, and on special days you'll see old farm skills demonstrated. On Saturdays, the Vulcan steam train pulls open-air wooden cars around the grounds.
Don't miss: Go on a Saturday to ride the steam train.
Good to know: Open Wednesday to Saturday. Admission was $10 for adults on weekdays and $12 on Saturdays as of late 2025. It's just off I-75.
No. 17: Poppell Farms, Odum
Score: 67.7/100 · Best for: South Georgia's big fall festival · When to go: October to early November; mid-May to July for produce
Genell and Tanya Poppell began farming here in 1988 and opened their maze in 2007. WTOC reported in 2018 that about 35,000 people a year come to Odum, a town of just over 500.
The 10-acre maze has a new theme every year; in 2022 it honored UGA quarterback Stetson Bennett. The petting farm has a llama named Claude, donkeys called Pearl and Elvis, and pigs named "Abra-Ham" and "Link-on." You can also fish, ride a pony and pick a pumpkin.
Don't miss: The Friday or Saturday night flashlight maze.
Good to know: The 2026 fall season runs October 3 to November 1. Day tickets were $18.95 online.
No. 18: Mark's Melon Patch, near Sasser and Dawson
Score: 67.1/100 · Best for: Watermelons, boiled peanuts and a fall corn maze · When to go: April to May, June to July, and October
In 1981, Mark Daniel started selling watermelons from the back of a pickup truck by the road. It's now a 50-acre farm growing melons, corn, sunflowers, strawberries, peanuts and pumpkins. Southern Living named it one of the South's legendary farm stands.
In fall, there's a five-acre corn maze with about 2.5 miles of trails, gem mining, a sunflower garden and family movies projected on a 100-year-old barn. In October, night hayrides pass more than 100 glowing jack-o'-lanterns.
Don't miss: A bag of the boiled peanuts that Southern Living singled out.
Good to know: The market is open daily. The fall corn maze is open on weekends only.
No. 19: Crane Creek Vineyards, Young Harris
Score: 65.1/100 · Best for: Award-winning mountain wines, and a night among the vines · When to go: Year-round
Eric and Deanne Seifarth planted their first vines in 1995 and opened the winery in 2000. More than 90% of their wine comes from their own grapes. Their wines have won gold medals at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.
Taste in the Stone House, with views over the vines and the mountains, or have a coffee in the Bryson Farmhouse from about 1886. If you can't bear to leave, the Stone House Guest Suite and the Vinekeeper's Cottage let you stay the night.
Don't miss: Friday-evening live music at the Farmhouse.
Good to know: Closed Mondays. Wine tasting is for adults 21 and over.
No. 20: Steed's Dairy, Grovetown
Score: 65.0/100 · Best for: A classic Augusta-area fall farm day · When to go: Late September to mid-November
The Steed family has owned this farm since 1934. It was once the last dairy in Columbia County. The family stopped milking for sale around 2010 and opened the farm to visitors, but the cows are still here.
Every fall there's a five-acre corn maze with a new theme, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, a petting zoo, tube slides and a cow-milking demonstration. More than 14,000 students come on field trips each year.
Don't miss: The cow-milking demonstration, then the themed corn maze.
Good to know: The 2026 fall season runs from September 26 to November 15, open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays.
No. 21: Red Apple Barn, Ellijay
Score: 64.8/100 · Best for: A bundled apple-picking day · When to go: September and October
This land has been in the family since 1927, and the first apple trees went in in 1965. Owner Marvin Pritchett grows Gala, Jonagold, Mutsu, Arkansas Black and other varieties.
One admission covers a tractor ride to and from the orchard, apple picking, an apple cider donut and a cup of cider. Explore Georgia listed admission at $10. The Weather Channel has visited the farm.
Don't miss: The cider donut and cup of cider that come with your ticket.
Good to know: Open August to December 23. The pumpkin patch is closed in 2026, but pumpkins are sold at the barn on fall weekends.
No. 22: Greene Acres Farm, Cochran
Score: 63.9/100 · Best for: A quieter peach and strawberry farm · When to go: April to July, October and December
The Greene family bought this farm, then called Tom Sawyer Farms, in 2018. They now grow more than four acres of U-pick strawberries and about 2,500 peach trees, plus blackberries.
In fall, there's a pumpkin patch, tractor rides, farm animals and a hay-bale maze. In December, Christmas on the Farm brings holiday lights. It's a good alternative to the busier peach stops further west.
Don't miss: The homemade strawberry ice cream, made daily and the farm's most popular treat.
Good to know: Hours aren't posted on the website. Check the farm's Facebook or Instagram, or call ahead.
No. 23: Pearson Farm, Fort Valley
Score: 63.6/100 · Best for: Peaches and pecans from the family in our opening story · When to go: June to July for peaches; October to December for pecans
Lockie and Emma Pearson moved to Zenith, Georgia, in 1885 and planted peaches. Five generations later, the family still runs the farm. Pecans were added in the 1930s, and today they grow some 40 to 50 peach varieties.
The peach packing shed sits in the old Zenith School. In summer, you can watch the packing on a self-guided tour. Atlanta Magazine has called Pearson the biggest supplier of local peaches to Atlanta-area farmers markets.
Don't miss: Peach ice cream on the farm store porch.
Good to know: Free to visit. Peach season hours run Monday to Saturday. In pecan season the store is open weekdays only.
No. 24: Bottoms Christmas Tree Farm, Cumming
Score: 63.5/100 · Best for: Cutting your own Christmas tree near Atlanta · When to go: Late November to mid-December
Dennis and Sandra Bottoms run what's described as the oldest working Christmas tree farm in Forsyth County. About half of their roughly 1,000 customers a season come back year after year.
Choose and cut a Leyland or Murray cypress, Carolina Sapphire, white pine or Virginia pine. Then take a short hayride, walk the lakeside trail to see the horses, cows, sheep and pigs, and warm up with hot chocolate and a s'mores pack.
Don't miss: Free family photos with Santa on select Saturdays.
Good to know: The 2026 season runs November 21 to December 19, closed Sundays. Choose-and-cut trees were $10 a foot in 2026.
No. 25: Mountain Valley Farm, Ellijay
Score: 63.4/100 · Best for: A farm store and baby animals in a mountain valley · When to go: Year-round
This 200-acre farm in the Clear Creek Valley has been run by the same family since 1840. The farm store sells grass-fed, dry-aged beef and heritage pork, cut to order, plus eggs and goat-milk soaps.
Next to the store, kids can meet Katahdin sheep, Boer goats, rabbits, Jersey milk cows and baby calves. It's a Georgia Farm Bureau Certified Farm Market.
Don't miss: The baby animals beside the farm store.
Good to know: Free to visit. The store is open daily, 10 to 5. Its website is out of date, so call ahead to confirm hours.
No. 26: Incacheetoo Plantation and Petting Zoo, Waverly
Score: 63.1/100 · Best for: Hands-on animals on the Georgia coast · When to go: Year-round; best in fall
This is our top-rated farm on the Georgia coast, between Brunswick and the Florida line, and it's one of the highest-rated farms on our whole list on Google. Visitors meet camels, kangaroos, goats, pigs, cattle, emus and a parakeet aviary.
There are hayrides, pony rides, pig races, a corn pit and a playground. In fall it also sells pumpkins and Christmas trees.
Don't miss: The pig races, and a camel ride if it's running.
Good to know: There's no official website. Call (912) 223-0868 to check hours before you go.
No. 27: Rutland Farms, Tifton
Score: 63.0/100 · Best for: A farm for every season off I-75 · When to go: April, September to October and December
Charlie Rutland started a 36-acre farmstead here in 1916. Five generations later, the family farms more than 2,100 acres and grows more than 22 crops. The U-pick strawberry patch opened in 1998.
Every fall, students from UGA's Tifton campus help design the 25-acre corn maze using GPS. In 2015, the maze honored football coach Mark Richt, and ESPN covered it. In winter, you can cut your own Leyland, Murray, Blue Ice or Carolina Sapphire cypress.
Don't miss: The market's strawberry ice cream, which UGA calls well known.
Good to know: The Strawberry Jubilee runs on Saturdays in April; it was $13 in 2026, with berries extra.
No. 28: Berry Good Farms, Tifton
Score: 62.9/100 · Best for: Berry picking just off I-75 · When to go: Late April to July; November to December for persimmons and satsumas
Owner Bob Welker grew up on a dairy farm and later ran a mortgage company. When the 2008 crash hit, he turned to growing fruit full-time. Today he grows about six acres of blueberries and nearly four acres of blackberries.
He sells only at the farm. "We don't ship," he told Farm Monitor. Explore Georgia says the farm uses no synthetic fungicides or pesticides on its berries. There's also a petting pen, with a rooster named Isee.
Don't miss: Pack a picnic, pick a bucket of blueberries and visit the petting pen.
Good to know: Free to visit. Check the farm's Facebook page for what's ripe.
No. 29: Aaron Family Orchards, Ellijay
Score: 62.5/100 · Best for: A calmer, more personal apple day · When to go: August to November
The Aaron family bought this land in 1938, and Shafter Aaron opened Aaron's Apple House in 1944. In 2024, Joshua and Kaylee Aaron, the fourth generation, took over the farm.
They replanted the orchard on dwarf trees, so the apples are easy to reach. In the last few years they've added a petting farm, U-cut flowers and a bakery. Joshua Aaron told the AJC they want to offer a more individualized experience.
Don't miss: The petting farm and a hayride, then a bunch of sunflowers.
Good to know: U-pick may be by appointment, so check before you go.
No. 30: Blessing Creek Farms, LaFayette
Score: 62.3/100 · Best for: Cuddling a Highland calf · When to go: Year-round, by booking
Yes, you can cuddle a cow here. The AJC featured Blessing Creek in 2026 in a roundup of Georgia's best animal-cuddle experiences.
In a creekside barn, you spend 30 minutes petting and brushing a fluffy Highland calf. Full farm tours also visit the bunnies, Nigerian dwarf goats, a pig and a miniature donkey. The Lamason and Hall families recently took over the farm and plan to add more events.
Don't miss: The 30-minute Highland calf cuddle.
Good to know: Visits must be booked ahead. The AJC listed experiences at $25 to $100.
No. 31: Bella Orchards, Jasper
Score: 61.6/100 · Best for: Small-farm strawberry picking without the crowds · When to go: April to June
This small family farm just south of Ellijay is known for U-pick strawberries. It also grows blackberries, blueberries, peaches, muscadines, pears and figs. Explore Georgia lists it among North Georgia's places to pick strawberries.
Waits are short or nonexistent, which makes it an easy morning with small children.
Don't miss: A bucket of spring strawberries, then a look at what else is ripe.
Good to know: No website. Picking depends on the crop, so check the farm's Facebook page or call ahead.
No. 32: Watermelon Creek Vineyard, Glennville
Score: 61.5/100 · Best for: Muscadine wines on a family homeplace from 1812 · When to go: Spring and fall
The Padgett family settled on Watermelon Creek in 1812, and nine generations have lived on this land. Charles Tillman, the eighth, bought it from a cousin in 2003. He and his wife, Deborah, planted vines and opened to the public in 2012. They live in the restored family home.
The winery makes 12 muscadine and blueberry wines, from very dry to very sweet. The two-story tasting room has a 17-foot table salvaged from the old commissary store.
Don't miss: A reserved tasting with the behind-the-scenes tour, then lunch from the scratch kitchen.
Good to know: Reservations are required for tastings and the restaurant. Call ahead, as it may close early if no one is booked.
No. 33: B.J. Reece Orchards, Ellijay
Score: 61.4/100 · Best for: The full Ellijay apple-festival experience · When to go: September and October
B.J. Reece Jr. bought a 30-acre orchard in 1960. His son John and daughter-in-law Rachel bought it in 1996 and added more than 200 acres. Atlanta Magazine reported 60 apple varieties and about 500,000 visitors a year to the market, bakery and U-pick.
On weekends, there are pig races, cow milking, a cow train, an apple cannon and pony rides. Across the road, the family's Reece's Cider Co. taproom pours hard cider.
Don't miss: A fried pie from the bakery, then the weekend pig races.
Good to know: In 2026, weekend Farm Fun started at $13 and a peck bag of apples was $24. Go on a weekday to beat the crowds.
No. 34: Tiger Mountain Vineyards, Tiger
Score: 61.4/100 · Best for: Estate wines with a Blue Ridge view · When to go: Year-round; best spring to fall
Dr. John and Martha Ezzard planted vines in 1995 on a Rabun County farm his family had worked since the 1830s. The tasting room and Red Barn Café are in a converted dairy barn. Atlanta Magazine credits the vineyard with bringing Petit Manseng to Georgia. Technology entrepreneur Lenny Vitello now owns it.
Eat lunch on the stone patio overlooking the vines, with a glass of estate wine.
Don't miss: The estate Petit Manseng with lunch on the patio.
Good to know: Open Thursday to Sunday. Wine tasting is for adults 21 and over.
No. 35: Uncle Shuck's Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch, Dawsonville
Score: 60.5/100 · Best for: A nationally ranked corn maze · When to go: Mid-September to early November
USA Today 10Best readers voted Uncle Shuck's one of America's 10 best corn mazes in both 2024 and 2025. The 15-acre maze has about six miles of trails and a new design every year.
There's also a kids' maze, pick-your-own pumpkins, a jumping pillow, a goat walk, a corn cannon and hayrides along the Etowah River. On October weekend nights, the Dark Rows haunted trail opens after dark.
Don't miss: The 15-acre maze. Allow anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours.
Good to know: The 2026 season runs September 19 to November 8.
No. 36: Wargo's Pumpkin Patch, near Grantville and Luthersville
Score: 60.5/100 · Best for: A three-season family farm · When to go: Spring for strawberries; late September to October; December for trees
This family farm between Luthersville and Lone Oak changes with the seasons. Spring brings U-pick strawberries and flowers. Fall brings pumpkins, a hayride, a corn maze and a petting zoo. In December, there are Christmas trees and Santa.
The farm sells boiled peanuts and fried apple pies, and donates to Camp Rockridge, a camp in Franklin, Georgia.
Don't miss: A fried apple pie and a bag of boiled peanuts in pumpkin season.
Good to know: No website. Check the farm's Facebook page for this year's hours.
No. 37: Hunter Cattle Company, Brooklet
Score: 60.3/100 · Best for: A night in a tobacco-barn loft on a cattle farm · When to go: Spring and fall
The Ferguson family raises pasture-raised cattle and pigs on about 300 acres near Statesboro. Their pork sausage has won Flavor of Georgia awards.
Overnight guests sleep in "The Roost" or "The Tobacco Loft" at the top of an old tobacco barn, and can join the morning chores. MooMa's Farm Store sells the farm's beef, pork and jerky.
Don't miss: A night in The Roost, then help collect the eggs.
Good to know: Educational tours are by request. Call ahead to book tours and stays.
No. 38: L & R Alpaca Haven Farm, Douglasville
Score: 60.2/100 · Best for: Meeting alpacas west of Atlanta · When to go: Year-round, by appointment
This family alpaca farm offers tours, alpaca grooming days, birthday parties, photo shoots and classes from yoga to soap making. Laura and Rick Marshall run it alongside Silverlining's Animal Rescue, and the farm has hosted a free community festival with live music and animal adoptions.
Don't miss: A booked visit to meet and feed the alpacas.
Good to know: Weekend visits are by appointment only. Call (404) 408-4635 before you go.
No. 39: Lasso the Moon Alpaca Farm, Blairsville
Score: 60.0/100 · Best for: Free alpaca tours and felting classes · When to go: Year-round, by appointment
Owner and fiber artist Holly Williams keeps more than 25 alpacas in the mountains near Blairsville. Her tours are free, though donations are welcome. You'll pet and feed the alpacas and learn how they differ from llamas.
Then she opens her studio for one-day felting classes, such as needle felting or nuno-felted alpaca scarves, with a farm-to-table lunch.
Don't miss: Feeding the alpacas, then a one-day felting class.
Good to know: Visits are by appointment. Mornings are chore time, so most visits are in the afternoon.
No. 40: Jarrell Plantation State Historic Site, Juliette
Score: 59.5/100 · Best for: A Middle Georgia cotton farm frozen in time · When to go: Year-round; spring and fall for demonstration days
John Fitz Jarrell built the first house here in 1847. By 1863, 42 enslaved people worked the 600-acre cotton plantation. The Jarrell family held the land for more than 140 years and gave the historic site to the state in 1974. The site tells both the farm's story and the story of the people who were forced to work it.
More than 20 original buildings survive, including two farmhouses. Dick Jarrell used steam engines to run a sawmill, cotton gin, gristmill and syrup evaporator, and you can see them all.
Don't miss: The steam-powered mill complex. Go on Farm Heritage Day in spring for live demonstrations.
Good to know: Open Thursday to Sunday. Adult admission was $7 plus tax in 2026.
No. 41: Twin Oaks Fun Farm, Forsyth
Score: 58.5/100 · Best for: Strawberries and farm fun for small children · When to go: April to June, and September to October
This small family farm just off I-75 grows U-pick strawberries, blueberries and watermelons. There's a petting zoo, a bee hive exhibit, hayrides, a jump house, a corn maze in the fall, and a train ride called the "Mooo Xpress."
Don't miss: The Mooo Xpress train ride.
Good to know: No website. Check the farm's Facebook page for this season's hours.
No. 42: Fifth Day Farm, Valdosta
Score: 58.5/100 · Best for: Feeding a camel named Joe · When to go: Weekends year-round; September to November for the fall festival
Janet and Steve Hendley started with a couple of animals while both worked full-time jobs. Then they began rescuing animals, including some from the Thomasville-Thomas County Humane Society. Today Janet runs the farm full-time.
Kids feed goats, sheep, llamas, alpacas, ponies, a potbelly pig and a camel named Joe. There's a picnic area under a giant old oak.
Don't miss: Feeding Joe the camel.
Good to know: Open weekends. Admission was $12 in 2026, with pony rides $5 extra. The farm sometimes closes for private events, so check its Facebook page first.
No. 43: Ole McDermitt's Farm, Carrollton
Score: 58.3/100 · Best for: A classic West Georgia pumpkin day · When to go: September to early November
About an hour west of Atlanta, this family-run farm hosts events through the year, and its fall season is the big one. Explore Georgia lists a pumpkin patch, hayrides, gem mining, a petting zoo, slides and a corn maze. School field trips include a hayride, slides, a jumping pillow, the petting zoo and a hands-on farming lesson.
Don't miss: The petting zoo, then a turn through the corn maze.
Good to know: Admission at the farm is cash only. Check the farm's calendar for open days.
No. 44: The Kinsey Family Farm, Gainesville
Score: 57.8/100 · Best for: Cut-your-own Christmas trees in Hall County · When to go: Late November to December
Jim and Liz Kinsey started a livestock farm here in 1981, and their sons Andy and Kelly run it today. They planted their first Christmas trees in the early 2000s, and now grow Leyland, Carolina Sapphire and Blue Ice cypress on their 50-acre farm, alongside a plant nursery.
Choose and cut a Carolina Sapphire or Murray cypress in the family's own fields.
Don't miss: A Carolina Sapphire cypress you cut yourself.
Good to know: The farm didn't run a pumpkin season in fall 2026. WSB-TV reported it is in a five-year transition and will focus more on Christmas. Check its website for this year's Christmas dates.
No. 45: Taylor Orchards (Strawberry Patch), Reynolds
Score: 57.2/100 · Best for: Strawberry picking and strawberry ice cream · When to go: March to May
The Wainwright family's Taylor Orchards began with 200 acres of peaches in the early 1940s. Today it farms more than 3,600 acres and, since 2018, has been part of the same company as Lane Southern Orchards (No. 15).
In spring, you pick strawberries straight from the field, with buckets provided. Berries usually peak in April.
Don't miss: The homemade strawberry ice cream after picking.
Good to know: Strawberry season is short, so check the farm's site before you go.
No. 46: Seventy-Four Ranch, Jasper
Score: 56.5/100 · Best for: A working cattle ranch B&B · When to go: Spring and fall
Larry and Pam Butler bought this ranch in 1999. Larry had spent five years in Wyoming learning to be a cowboy. Today it's about 1,200 acres of fields and streams in the North Georgia foothills.
Guests stay in the historic Butler-Cape House or in cabins, including a Cowboy Cabin modeled on an 1880s Wyoming line shack with no electricity. There's horseback riding, roping, fishing and campfires, and breakfast comes with your stay.
Don't miss: Campfire ghost stories about the old Cape family and North Georgia's moonshine days.
Good to know: Overnight stays by booking. Call ahead to check availability.
No. 47: Oakhurst Farm, West Point
Score: 56.3/100 · Best for: A West Georgia fall festival with calves and goats · When to go: October; late May to early July for blueberries
This farm has been in the family since the early 1900s and began as a cattle and hay farm. Morgan Marlowe runs the fall event his late father, Lon, started in 2014.
Fall Daze has a corn maze of more than four acres, a hayride past the farm's cows, donkeys and sheep, a petting zoo with calves and baby goats, a barrel train and pig races. In early summer, you can pick blueberries.
Don't miss: The hayride past the cows and donkeys, then the petting zoo.
Good to know: Fall Daze runs on weekends in October. Pumpkins are sold by the pound.
No. 48: Yonah Mountain Vineyards, Cleveland
Score: 56.3/100 · Best for: Wine caves below a mountain · When to go: April to November; late August for harvest
Bob and Jane Miller bought nearly 200 acres at the foot of Yonah Mountain in 2005 and planted their first vines. Their son Eric runs the business today. About 20 acres are planted with grapes, from Sauvignon Blanc and Petit Manseng to Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
Tour the wine caves, taste a flight, or book a reserve tasting hosted by Bob Miller himself. There's live music most weekends.
Don't miss: The wine cave tour.
Good to know: Hours vary, so check the website. Wine tasting is for adults 21 and over.
No. 49: Big Springs Farms, Woodstock
Score: 55.4/100 · Best for: A free, dog-friendly pumpkin farm · When to go: Late September to October
There's no admission fee and parking is free. You pay only for what you do. In 2026, the hayride and corn maze were $5 each and the kids' farm train was $3.
The AJC said it has hundreds of pumpkin sizes, from "Wee Be Little" to "Big Max." Take the hayride out to the patch, then choose your pumpkin in the big barn. The farm calls itself dog-friendly.
Don't miss: The hayride, then picking a pumpkin in the big barn.
Good to know: Open October weekends and Friday afternoons.
No. 50: Spring Hill Farm, Bainbridge
Score: 55.3/100 · Best for: Strawberries, fall fun and Christmas trees near the Florida line · When to go: March to May, October weekends, and December
Pioneer James Dixon settled this hilltop farm in 1844. The Provence family bought it in 1981, only its second owner. Over the years it grew corn, cotton and peanuts, then raised cattle. The family says that for the last 30 years it has been a favorite day out for families in the tri-state corner of Georgia, Florida and Alabama, between Tallahassee and Dothan.
In spring you pick strawberries, then eat homemade strawberry ice cream or a strawberry fried pie. October weekends bring a corn maze, a pumpkin patch, unlimited hayrides, pig races and horse rides. In winter, it's a cut-your-own Christmas tree farm.
Don't miss: The Haunted Corn Maze on late-October nights, with a hayride out to the maze.
Good to know: In 2026 the fall daytime armband was $10, with ages 3 and under free. Fall Family Fun runs on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Best Farms Near You, by Region
Georgia is big, so here are the 50 farms grouped by where you'll be driving from.
Near Atlanta: No. 2 Southern Belle Farm, No. 24 Bottoms Christmas Tree Farm, No. 38 L & R Alpaca Haven Farm, No. 49 Big Springs Farms
North Georgia mountains (Ellijay, Blue Ridge, Dawsonville, Blairsville): No. 4 Mercier Orchards, No. 6 Mountain Fresh Creamery, No. 11 Burt's Pumpkin Farm, No. 14 R & A Orchards, No. 19 Crane Creek Vineyards, No. 21 Red Apple Barn, No. 25 Mountain Valley Farm, No. 29 Aaron Family Orchards, No. 31 Bella Orchards, No. 33 B.J. Reece Orchards, No. 34 Tiger Mountain Vineyards, No. 35 Uncle Shuck's, No. 39 Lasso the Moon, No. 46 Seventy-Four Ranch, No. 48 Yonah Mountain Vineyards
Athens and Northeast Georgia: No. 1 Jaemor Farms, No. 9 Washington Farms, No. 44 The Kinsey Family Farm
Northwest Georgia (near Chattanooga): No. 30 Blessing Creek Farms
West Georgia (Carrollton to West Point): No. 13 Fitzgerald Fruit Farms, No. 36 Wargo's Pumpkin Patch, No. 43 Ole McDermitt's Farm, No. 47 Oakhurst Farm
Macon and Middle Georgia: No. 3 Dickey Farms, No. 15 Lane Southern Orchards, No. 22 Greene Acres Farm, No. 23 Pearson Farm, No. 40 Jarrell Plantation, No. 41 Twin Oaks Fun Farm, No. 45 Taylor Orchards (Strawberry Patch)
East Georgia (Madison to Augusta): No. 7 Southern Cross Guest Ranch, No. 20 Steed's Dairy
Savannah, Statesboro and the coast: No. 17 Poppell Farms, No. 26 Incacheetoo, No. 32 Watermelon Creek Vineyard, No. 37 Hunter Cattle Company
South Georgia and I-75 (Americus, Albany, Tifton, Valdosta): No. 5 Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm, No. 8 White Oak Pastures, No. 10 Calhoun Produce, No. 12 Southern Grace Farms, No. 16 Georgia Museum of Agriculture, No. 18 Mark's Melon Patch, No. 27 Rutland Farms, No. 28 Berry Good Farms, No. 42 Fifth Day Farm, No. 50 Spring Hill Farm
When to Visit Georgia Farms: A Season-by-Season Calendar
Georgia's farm year starts early. Strawberries arrive in March in South Georgia. Peaches run from mid-May to mid-August. Apples come in from mid-to-late August in the mountains, and the Georgia Apple Festival fills Ellijay on two weekends every October.
Season | Where to go |
|---|---|
Spring (Mar–May) | Strawberries at Washington Farms (No. 9), Calhoun Produce (No. 10), Southern Grace (No. 12), Rutland's Strawberry Jubilee (No. 27) and Bella Orchards (No. 31); foals at Southern Cross (No. 7) |
Summer (Jun–Aug) | Peaches at Dickey (No. 3), Lane Southern (No. 15) and Pearson (No. 23); Southern Belle's Sunflower Weekend (No. 2); blueberries at Berry Good Farms (No. 28); melons at Mark's Melon Patch (No. 18) |
Fall (Sep–Nov) | Apples at Mercier (No. 4) and in Ellijay (Nos. 14, 21, 29, 33); Burt's pumpkins (No. 11); Uncle Shuck's maze (No. 35); Poppell's flashlight maze (No. 17); Steed's Dairy (No. 20) |
Winter (Dec–Feb) | Christmas trees at Bottoms (No. 24), Rutland (No. 27) and Kinsey (No. 44); satsumas at Southern Grace (No. 12); Jimmy Carter's farm (No. 5) and the Georgia Museum of Agriculture (No. 16) all year |
Farm Stays, Free Days Out and Other Quick Picks
Sleep on a farm: Southern Cross Guest Ranch (No. 7), White Oak Pastures (No. 8), Crane Creek Vineyards (No. 19), Hunter Cattle Company (No. 37) and Seventy-Four Ranch (No. 46). If you're a farmer thinking of hosting guests, read how to start a farm stay.
Free or nearly free: Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm (No. 5), Pearson Farm (No. 23), Mountain Valley Farm (No. 25), Berry Good Farms (No. 28) and Lasso the Moon (No. 39) are free to visit. Burt's (No. 11) and Big Springs (No. 49) have free entry and parking; you pay only for rides and pumpkins.
Animals up close: Mountain Fresh Creamery's calves (No. 6), Blessing Creek's Highland cows (No. 30), the alpacas at L & R (No. 38) and Lasso the Moon (No. 39), and Joe the camel at Fifth Day Farm (No. 42).
Best for history lovers: Jimmy Carter's boyhood farm (No. 5), Dickey's 1936 packinghouse (No. 3), the Georgia Museum of Agriculture (No. 16), Pearson Farm (since 1885, No. 23), Mountain Valley Farm (since 1840, No. 25) and Jarrell Plantation (No. 40).
For Farm Owners: 5 Lessons From the Farms at the Top
If you farm, this list is more than a road trip. It's a free study of what visitors will drive for, and pay for. Here's what the top-scoring farms have in common.
Lesson 1: Spread your risk across the seasons
Washington Farms learned this in year three, when a late frost took about 60% of the strawberries. The Washingtons added pumpkins, then more crops. Jaemor, Southern Belle and Rutland now have something for visitors in spring, summer, fall and, for Rutland, Christmas.
One crop is one bad week away from a lost year. Read our weather backup plan for U-pick farms, and look at how to start a corn maze or a pumpkin patch as your fall season.
Lesson 2: Your old buildings and your history are worth points
Dickey Farms turned a 1936 packinghouse into the reason people drive to Musella. Pearson packs peaches in an old school. Jimmy Carter's farm charges nothing, yet it ranks No. 5, with near-perfect reviews and full marks for its story.
Story counts for 10 points on our scorecard. Put your farm's history on your website, your Google listing and a sign by the parking lot. Our guide to what to do with an old barn shows how others did it.
Lesson 3: Schools fill your weekdays
Southern Belle welcomes more than 30,000 schoolchildren a year, and Steed's Dairy more than 14,000. Field trips use the farm on weekdays, when families are at work and school. And many of those children come back on a weekend with their parents.
Our guide to partnering with schools shows how to start.
Lesson 4: The scoop of ice cream pays the bills
Look at the "Don't miss" lines on this list. Peach ice cream at Dickey and Pearson. Strawberry ice cream at Washington, Greene Acres, Rutland and Taylor Orchards. Fried pies at Jaemor, Mercier, R & A and B.J. Reece. Visitors may come for the picking, but they leave with something sweet.
It's the same everywhere: Applecrest in New Hampshire went from 90% wholesale to 80% retail. Before you sell food, check the permits you'll need.
Lesson 5: Use Georgia's agritourism law, and do it properly
Here's a number from UGA's 2026 outlook that worries me: 32% of Georgia agritourism operators break even or lose money. One lawsuit could push a profitable farm into that 32%.
In plain English (this isn't legal advice): Georgia's agritourism law (O.C.G.A. § 51-3-31, passed in 2009) can protect a farm from lawsuits over the normal risks of a farm visit, but only when its conditions are met. The law says the warning sign it requires must be posted at the main entrance, in black letters at least one inch high, and adult visitors must sign a document containing the required warning. The activity also has to be registered with the Georgia Department of Agriculture. The protection doesn't cover gross negligence, willful or wanton misconduct, or the other exceptions written into the law.
Reality Check: questions to ask before you open your gate in Georgia This isn't legal advice. Take these questions to a Georgia agricultural lawyer and your insurance agent. ✅ Is my activity registered with the Georgia Department of Agriculture, so the liability law actually applies to me? ✅ Is my warning sign worded exactly as the law requires, in letters at least one inch tall, at my main entrance? ✅ Does my signed waiver include the exact warning wording the law requires? The law covers visitors 18 and older, so how am I protected when children visit? ✅ Does my farm policy cover paying visitors, or do I need a separate agritourism policy? |
Our guides to agritourism laws by state, where to post warning signs, liability waivers and agritourism insurance go deeper. If you keep animals, read our petting zoo handwashing system.
I know the weather lesson from my own farm. At Bloopy Durians in Malaysia, our durians come in two short seasons a year, about four to five months in total. So we keep a WhatsApp list of loyal customers who buy whenever the fruit is ready. When nature controls your calendar, the people who already love your farm are your best insurance.
Field-Tested Play: copy the Washington Farms model Start small, and add a season every year. John and Donna Washington began in 1993 with strawberries, no land of their own and no tractor. After a frost, they added pumpkins. Today their fall festival has more than 60 attractions. Pick one crop visitors love, then add the next season. Our guide to agritourism activities ranked by cost and profit will help you choose. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best farm to visit in Georgia?
On our 2026 scorecard, Jaemor Farms in Alto scored highest, at 81.7 out of 100. Southern Belle Farm in McDonough and Dickey Farms in Musella came next. The best farm for you depends on what you want: U-pick fruit, apples, animals, a ranch stay or history.
Where can I pick peaches in Georgia?
Head to Peach County and nearby. Dickey Farms (Musella), Lane Southern Orchards and Pearson Farm (both Fort Valley) are the classic peach stops. Jaemor Farms, Southern Belle Farm and Fitzgerald Fruit Farms also grow peaches. Peach season runs from about mid-May to mid-August.
When is apple season in Georgia?
Apple picking in the North Georgia mountains usually runs from mid-to-late August into October, with some orchards selling apples into December. Ellijay calls itself the Apple Capital of Georgia, and the Georgia Apple Festival is held there on two weekends in October.
Where can I stay on a working farm or ranch in Georgia?
Southern Cross Guest Ranch in Madison is a working horse ranch with all-inclusive stays. White Oak Pastures in Bluffton has cabins on a regenerative cattle farm. Seventy-Four Ranch near Jasper, Hunter Cattle Company near Statesboro and Crane Creek Vineyards in Young Harris also offer overnight stays.
Which Georgia farms are free to visit?
Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm, Pearson Farm, Mountain Valley Farm, Berry Good Farms and Lasso the Moon Alpaca Farm are free to visit. Burt's Pumpkin Farm and Big Springs Farms have free entry and parking, and you pay only for activities and pumpkins.
How did you rank these farms?
Every farm had to pass three entry tests: open to the public, at least 4.3 Google stars from 100 or more reviews, and a real working farm. Each was then scored out of 100 on star ratings, number of reviews, press and awards, things to do, recent reviews, story, value and ease of visiting. No farm paid to be listed.
Got a Farm? Find Out If It's Ready for Visitors
Every farm on this list started where you are. They had land, a crop, and a question: would people pay to come here? Take our free quiz to see how ready your farm is. Then grab the 21-Point Agritourism Blueprint to plan your first season.
P.S. Lawton Pearson's family has faced more bad Marches than anyone can count since 1885, and they're still packing peaches in the old Zenith School. If there's a farm on this list you've always meant to visit, go this season. If you're a farmer, remember that every farm here chose to open its gate. The Kuipers family turned a weekend pumpkin patch into 150,000+ visitors a year. Farmer Copley's went from "not making a lot of money" to 8,000 visitors a day. Your farm's story could be next.
By Stephen Loke of AgritourismSuccess.com, whose farm is featured in Bloomberg News and Asahi Shimbun. Rankings use Google ratings checked on October 22, 2026, plus published press and farm information checked on October 27, 2026. Prices, seasons and hours change, so always confirm with the farm before you visit. No farm paid to be included.
Sources
Google ratings and review counts were checked on October 22, 2026 (not reproduced here). Statistics and farm facts come from these sources:
USDA ERS, California continues to lead U.S. peach harvest (Aug 2023)
NPR, Weather is to blame for roughly 90% of Georgia's peach crop being destroyed (May 2023)
Specialty Crop Grower, early-season peach varieties at risk (Mar 2026)
RFD-TV, Georgia peach growers brace for smaller crop (May 2026)
National Agricultural Law Center, Georgia agritourism statute
No. 1 Jaemor Farms: Jaemor Farms, Explore Georgia, Atlanta News First (Aug 2026)
No. 2 Southern Belle Farm: Our history, Spring 2026, Georgia Dept. of Agriculture (Jul 2024)
No. 3 Dickey Farms: Our story, Fruit Growers News (Nov 2022), Fall activities 2026
No. 4 Mercier Orchards: Our roots, 5 things to do, WSB-TV (Oct 2024)
No. 5 Jimmy Carter Boyhood Farm: National Park Service, Atlanta News First (Jan 2025)
No. 6 Mountain Fresh Creamery: Farm tours, GPB (May 2023), Explore Georgia
No. 7 Southern Cross Guest Ranch: Southern Cross, Garden & Gun, Equitrekking
No. 8 White Oak Pastures: Lodging, Farm tours, About us
No. 9 Washington Farms: Hours and pricing, The Red & Black (Jul 2019)
No. 10 Calhoun Produce: Corn maze 2026, RFD-TV (Jul 2026), SelectGeorgia (2017)
No. 11 Burt's Pumpkin Farm: FOX 5 Atlanta (Aug 2026), SaportaReport (2022)
No. 12 Southern Grace Farms: Southern Grace Farms, Explore Georgia
No. 13 Fitzgerald Fruit Farms: Fitzgerald Fruit Farms, Secret Atlanta (Apr 2026), Discover Georgia Outdoors
No. 14 R & A Orchards: R & A Orchards, Farm Monitor (Oct 2025), Explore Georgia
No. 15 Lane Southern Orchards: Macon Telegraph via AOL (Jul 2024), Wildsam (Mar 2026)
No. 16 Georgia Museum of Agriculture: About, ABAC (Sep 2025), New Georgia Encyclopedia
No. 17 Poppell Farms: Poppell Farms, WTOC (Oct 2018), Georgia Grown
No. 18 Mark's Melon Patch: Mark's Melon Patch, Albany Herald (Oct 2024), Southern Living via AOL (Jun 2025)
No. 19 Crane Creek Vineyards: Crane Creek Vineyards, Awards
No. 20 Steed's Dairy: Steed's Dairy, The Augusta Press (Sep 2022), Farm Monitor (Oct 2023)
No. 21 Red Apple Barn: Red Apple Barn, Georgia Grown, Explore Georgia
No. 22 Greene Acres Farm: Greene Acres Farm, WGXA (Dec 2019)
No. 23 Pearson Farm: Peaches, Explore Georgia, Fruit Growers News (Jul 2024)
No. 24 Bottoms Christmas Tree Farm: Bottoms Tree Farm, Farm activities, Forsyth County News
No. 25 Mountain Valley Farm: Explore Georgia, Georgia Farm Bureau, Appalachian Grown
No. 26 Incacheetoo: Tripadvisor, Family Fun Nearby
No. 27 Rutland Farms: Rutland Farms, UGA CAES (Mar 2022), South Georgia TV (Apr 2026)
No. 28 Berry Good Farms: Farm Monitor (Jul 2023), Explore Georgia
No. 29 Aaron Family Orchards: Explore Georgia, AJC (Oct 2025)
No. 30 Blessing Creek Farms: AJC (Aug 2026)
No. 31 Bella Orchards: Blue Ridge Mountains Travel Guide, Explore Georgia
No. 32 Watermelon Creek Vineyard: WTOC (Jan 2023), Georgia Grown
No. 33 B.J. Reece Orchards: Atlanta Magazine (Fall 2024), Pricing 2026
No. 34 Tiger Mountain Vineyards: Georgia Grown, Atlanta Magazine, The Dahlonega Nugget (Jun 2019)
No. 35 Uncle Shuck's: WSB-TV (Sep 2025), FOX 5 Atlanta (Sep 2024), Uncle Shuck's
No. 36 Wargo's Pumpkin Patch: Georgia Farm Bureau, Explore Georgia
No. 37 Hunter Cattle Company: Hunter Cattle, Visit Statesboro, Georgia Trend (2019)
No. 38 L & R Alpaca Haven Farm: Explore Georgia, L & R Alpaca Haven Farm on Facebook
No. 39 Lasso the Moon Alpaca Farm: Farm Monitor (Nov 2023), Explore Georgia
No. 40 Jarrell Plantation: Georgia State Parks
No. 41 Twin Oaks Fun Farm: Explore Georgia
No. 42 Fifth Day Farm: Fifth Day Farm, Valdosta Daily Times (Mar 2019)
No. 43 Ole McDermitt's Farm: Ole McDermitt's Farm, Fall, Explore Georgia
No. 44 The Kinsey Family Farm: WSB-TV (Oct 2026), Dawson County News
No. 45 Taylor Orchards: Taylor Orchards, Explore Georgia, Fruit Growers News (Feb 2018)
No. 46 Seventy-Four Ranch: Explore Georgia, Writing Horseback (2012)
No. 47 Oakhurst Farm: Oakhurst Farms, Valley Times-News (Oct 2022)
No. 48 Yonah Mountain Vineyards: Yonah Mountain Vineyards
No. 49 Big Springs Farms: Big Springs Farms, AJC
No. 50 Spring Hill Farm: Our story, Fall Family Fun 2026, WTXL
Farm photos are from Wikimedia Commons and the National Park Service, used under the licence shown in each caption. Charts and the map were made by AgritourismSuccess.com.
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