Tennessee Farms Welcome Visitors for Spring Agritourism Adventures
Adorable animals, fields of berries and blooms, and friendly farmers who love sharing what they do are just a few of the reasons visitors flock to agritourism destinations. In the springtime, Lucky Ladd Farms in Eagleville and Falcon Ridge Farm in Toone offer a taste of farm life with fun, seasonal activities for the whole family. Read more about these two unique spring agritourism spots in Tennessee.
This article first appeared in Tennessee Home & Farm.
Seasonal Agritourism at Lucky Ladd Farms
A city girl who married a country boy, Amy Ladd loved animals. It all started with a little pig named Charlotte, but when the menagerie – and the feed bill – grew unmanageable at their small property in Franklin, her husband, Jason, urged her to figure out a way to help pay for it all.
Ladd came up with the solution of inviting visitors to enjoy the animals, too. In 2008, the couple bought a 60-acre farm in Eagleville and began hosting agritourism activities the following year, starting with presentations for church groups and birthday parties. Today, Lucky Ladd Farms offers more than 50 activities, from a petting zoo and pony rides to pick-your-own strawberries and a popular mega slide enjoyed by visitors of all ages.
Despite the wide gamut of things to do on the farm, the animals are still the main draw. The farm features a menagerie of exotic species, miniature breeds and rare or endangered farm animals like Scottish Highland cows and Olde English Babydoll Southdown sheep.
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“I started breeding those, and from there, we acquired a few llamas and alpacas and some ponies,” Ladd says. “And before you knew it, it was out of control. I felt like it was important to try to preserve some of that history and let people see how farming has evolved over the years.”
Lucky Ladd is now considered the largest petting farm attraction of its kind in the state.
“We have kids who come out, and even adults, who see a goat and aren’t sure if it’s a goat or a horse,” Ladd says. “There are people who have never been exposed to agriculture. I think it’s important to try to reconnect families to the farm.”
In the spring, Lucky Ladd Farms comes alive with colorful seasonal offerings. On Good Friday, an egg hunt with the Easter Bunny attracts families year after year. A few weeks later, visitors can return to pick strawberries. Recently, the Ladds added pick-your-own tulips.
“They’re absolutely beautiful, and they have been exceptionally well-received,” Ladd says. “This year, we planted over a million tulips, and according to all the research we’ve done, we’re the largest tulip farm in the southeastern United States. That has been a real game changer for spring, and attendance has really skyrocketed.”
The Ladds also use nontraditional farming practices, such as growing strawberries hydroponically and planting tulips in mounds rather than trenches.
The best part, Ladd says, is “hearing everybody laughing and sharing stories and capturing all those moments together. It’s a real honor to be able to be part of so many family moments and knowing we helped make those happen.”
Falcon Ridge Farm Agritourism Offerings
For Bart Gilmer’s parents, Ray and Mary Ellen, it was love at first sight when they saw the beautiful sweep of land in Toone they later named Falcon Ridge.
“It’s in a real picturesque setting,” Bart says. “We’ve got a mix of pasture and woods that, combined with the rolling hills, just kind of tickled their fancy.”
In the early 2000s, the trio moved their Tennessee Walking Horse operation from Shelby County to what’s now Falcon Ridge Farm in Hardeman County. By 2008, however, Bart had married his wife, Becky, the recession was in full swing and the horse business was on the decline, so they started looking for new avenues to support two families. After visiting a friend’s Mississippi agritourism farm, the Gilmers decided to try something similar.
“We wanted to be able to grow some fresh fruits and vegetables for the community,” Bart says. “And we also wanted to open up the farm to the public and let them share a little bit of what we get to experience on a daily basis.”
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The Gilmers began planting blueberries, muscadine grapes and other fruits, along with crops like tomatoes, beans and lettuce, and offered community supported agriculture (CSA) boxes filled with fresh produce. Adding a surprise sunflower to each CSA box went over so well that they planted a whole field of them. They now grow about 25 different types of flowers, which they sell from April through October.
The family held its first festival at Falcon Ridge Farm in the fall of 2009. Today, about 5 of the farm’s 240 acres are set aside for public agritourism activities, from crop tours to an indoor arena with pony rides, a giant inflatable jump pad and a “bouncy ball corral.”
“Everybody loves playing in the corn box,” Bart says. “It’s basically like a big sand box, but we fill it with millions of corn kernels.”
The petting zoo, which features everything from cows and donkeys to rabbits and peacocks, is one of the main attractions. The Gilmers also plan to incorporate docile Longhorn cattle, one of Mary Ellen’s favorites.
The week before Easter, Falcon Ridge Farm welcomes children for hayrides to the Bunny Patch to hunt for thousands of prize-filled eggs. Elementary school students love the spring field trips, too, and the chance to participate in a seed-planting project called the Living Necklace. The project involves a purple hull pea worn around the neck or in a pocket that begins to sprout over time with help from the child’s body heat and a moist cotton ball in the bag. Bart says programs like this help promote awareness about agriculture.
“I think we’re helping raise future farmers,” he says. “People like to come out here, get some fresh air, and get away from the hustle and bustle a little bit. We enjoy family traditions and value family time, and we try to provide a nice, peaceful place for that.”