farming

Jennifer Johns poses with her parents, Susan and Gary Shaw, at Hickory Hill Farms. The Shaws returned to Oglethorpe County in 1998, when Jennifer was nine, purchasing the land that had been in Susan’s family for generations. In 2009, they founded Hickory Hill Farms. Today, Jennifer’s three children will grow up on the same land that shaped both her and her mother’s upbringing. (Photo/ Lilly Stone)

Jennifer Johns poses with her parents, Susan and Gary Shaw, at Hickory Hill Farms. The Shaws returned to Oglethorpe County in 1998, when Jennifer was nine, purchasing the land that had been in Susan’s family for generations. In 2009, they founded Hickory Hill Farms. Today, Jennifer’s three children will grow up on the same land that shaped both her and her mother’s upbringing. (Photo/ Lilly Stone)

Local organic farmers say practice worth the challenges

Makenna Reavis
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Cedar Grove Farm in Stephens began in 2005 when William Payne bought land off Oconee Forest Road and decided to try his hand at small-scale organic farming after relocating from Maryland.
The grain elevator at Oglethorpe Feed and Hardware Supply stretches 125 feet from the ground and provides efficient unloading and loading of feed. The Sanders have seen greater efficiency since its completion in July. (Elizabeth Kim/The Oglethorpe Echo)

The grain elevator at Oglethorpe Feed and Hardware Supply stretches 125 feet from the ground and provides efficient unloading and loading of feed. The Sanders have seen greater efficiency since its completion in July. (Elizabeth Kim/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Grain elevator boosts efficiency at feed store

Makenna Reavis
Thursday, October 9, 2025
The Sanders family, which has been running Oglethorpe Feed and Hardware Supply since 1998, introduced a towering addition to their business this summer: a 125-foot-tall grain elevator.
Geoff Hill demonstrates how he digs a hole to prepare for the planting of pawpaw trees on Monday, Sept. 6, 2025, at the Georgia Farm Bureau in Crawford. Hill has been growing pawpaw on his land for several years. (Makenna Reavis/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Geoff Hill demonstrates how he digs a hole to prepare for the planting of pawpaw trees on Monday, Sept. 6, 2025, at the Georgia Farm Bureau in Crawford. Hill has been growing pawpaw on his land for several years. (Makenna Reavis/The Oglethorpe Echo)

Gardeners spotlight versatile pawpaw fruit at Plowshare talk

Makenna Reavis
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Geoff Hill, a retired forester and longtime gardener from Athens, has a devoted interest in reviving a specific fruit tree: the pawpaw.
Ben Brubaker (from left), his son Benji and his father Dale gather around the wheel of a combine. The Brubaker family, which grows crops on their farm on Comer Road, could see a third generation of farmers if Benji decides to continue the tradition. (Submitted photo)

Ben Brubaker (from left), his son Benji and his father Dale gather around the wheel of a combine. The Brubaker family, which grows crops on their farm on Comer Road, could see a third generation of farmers if Benji decides to continue the tradition. (Submitted photo)

Row croppers on decline

Sara Micale and Lesley Randall
Friday, March 29, 2024
Wheat is growing on 600 acres of row cropping land along Comer Road, but it’ll soon bear corn and soybeans.   The farm belongs to Ben Brubaker, who said he believes he is one of two or three others row cropping in Oglethorpe County. His father, Dale, also works on the farm with him.
Cory Clements bails and wraps hay on John Robertson’s farm in the Smithonia Community in 2022. Oglethorpe County was the 10th largest hay producing county in the state in 2021. (Dink Nesmith/ The Oglethorpe Echo)

Cory Clements bails and wraps hay on John Robertson’s farm in the Smithonia Community in 2022. Oglethorpe County was the 10th largest hay producing county in the state in 2021. (Dink Nesmith/ The Oglethorpe Echo)

Hay fever: Rain leads to abundance of cash crop

John Henry Hammond
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Oglethorpe County’s unexpectedly wet hay season is coming to a close, bringing a bountiful harvest to farmers like Travis Legg.   “I’ve been doing this for a long time, and this is one of the wettest years I’ve seen,” said Legg, a third-generation farmer and owner of Windy Hill Ranch in Colbert.
Ruth Wilson is pictured leading the 2022 Winterville Marigold Festival Parade. She is on her parade horse, "Major." (Photo/ Ruth Wilson)

Ruth Wilson is pictured leading the 2022 Winterville Marigold Festival Parade. She is on her parade horse, "Major." (Photo/ Ruth Wilson)

Q&A: Wilson balances teaching, farming, battling sludge

Garrett Kicklighter
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Lexington resident Ruth Wilson is an ES paraprofessional at Oglethorpe County Elementary School, where she teaches third through fifth grades. She also owns Echo Hill Farm on Duck Pond Road and is a voice against sludge dumping in the county.   Comments edited for length and clarity.
Sweet Cheek Farm in Carlton has taken in llamas, alpacas and a variety of other animals since 2010. (Photo/Jack Casey)

Sweet Cheek Farm in Carlton has taken in llamas, alpacas and a variety of other animals since 2010. (Photo/Jack Casey)

Plenty of love to go around at Sweet Cheek Farm

Morgan Quinn
Thursday, August 11, 2022
Carrie and Mike Russell of Sweet Cheek Farm in Carlton have taken in llamas, alpacas and a variety of other animals since 2010. The two work through the Southeast Llama Rescue to adopt, foster and care for animals who need medical attention before being adopted by nearby farms.