Georgia Magazine - March 2022 - 36

COURTESY WOODPECKER TRAIL OLIVE FARM
COURTESY WOODPECKER TRAIL OLIVE FARM
Around GEORGIA
More agricultural tours, museums
and educational experiences
* Berry Student Enterprises AgriEducation,
Mount Berry; (706) 378-2854;
bit.ly/berryagrieducation
* Botanic Garden at Georgia Southern
University, Statesboro; (912) 478-1149;
academics.georgiasouthern.edu/garden
* Cochran-Bleckley Cotton & Peanut
Museum, Cochran; (478) 934-2965;
cochran-bleckley.com/area-activities
* Deep Roots Orchard, McCaysville;
(706) 492-7753; rootsorchard.com
* Georgia Grown Trails, (229) 896-2281;
gagrowntrails.com
* Georgia Olive Farms, Lakeland;
(229) 636-9865; georgiaolivefarms.com
Above: Tracy and Curtis Poling produce award-winning olive oils at Woodpecker Trail Olive
Farm in Glennville. Top right: During tours of the farm, guests ride in a seven-seater golf cart
and learn about the types of trees and the production of olive oil.
Continued from page 34
In the late 1700s, the trees were not as successful as Jefferson hoped because
of humidity and cold snaps, but olive farming now has taken root in the Southeast,
including at Woodpecker Trail Olive Farm in Glennville.
" I had a couple of [Jefferson's] trees shipped here, and I put them in the soil, and
they have been doing wonderful, " the farm's co-owner, Curtis Poling, says. " I think
they're going to be the tree of the future for Georgia. "
Situated along the historic Woodpecker Trail, the farm's land has been in
co-owner Tracy Poling's family for six generations. The 298 acres have wetlands,
slash and longleaf pines, fields of lavender and the sandy loam soil that suits the
farm's eight varieties of olive trees.
" We started the venture in 2014, clearing the land and planting trees in 2015, "
Curtis Poling says.
In 2020, the farm's first batch of olive oil won a silver award at the NYIOOC (New
York International Olive Oil Competition) World Olive Oil Competition, beating oils
from Italy and Spain in the same category. The Polings think they have a chance at
gold in this year's competition, which will take place in May.
" It's the finest-quality oil-and it's here in Georgia, " Tracy Poling says.
During the farm's tours, Curtis Poling drives guests around in a seven-seater golf
cart. Visitors learn about each variety of olive tree and olive oil production, followed by
a tasting. Guests might even see deer, gopher tortoises or the resident alligator, Ollie.
Book tours and purchase olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lavender products and
subscriptions through the farm's website.
Katie Teems Norris is a New Mexico-based freelance writer and communications
professional.
36 Georgia Magazine March 2022
* Georgia State Cotton Museum, Vienna;
(229) 268-4920; bit.ly/gacottonmuseum
* Hardman Farm State Historic Site,
Sautee Nacoochee; (706) 878-1077;
gastateparks.org/hardmanfarm
* Heritage Farm at General Coffee State
Park, Nicholls; (912) 384-7082;
gastateparks.org/generalcoffee
* Mountain Fresh Creamery & Glo-Crest
Dairy, Clermont; (770) 983-1666;
mountainfreshcreamery.com
* Reece Farm and Heritage Center,
Blairsville; (706) 745-2034;
unioncountyga.gov/reecefarm
* Shields-Ethridge Heritage Farm,
Jefferson; (706) 367-2949;
shieldsethridgefarminc.com
* Smith Farm at Atlanta History Center,
Atlanta; (404) 814-4000;
bit.ly/ahcsmithfarm
* Southern Forest World, Waycross;
(912) 285-4056; southernforestworld.com
* Sunbelt Ag Expo, Moultrie; (229) 985-1968;
sunbeltexpo.com
* Vidalia Onion Museum, Vidalia;
(912) 538-8687; bit.ly/vidaliaonionmuseum
* Watermelon Creek Vineyard,
Glennville; (912) 654-0107;
watermeloncreekvineyard.com
* William Harris Homestead Museum &
Education Center, Monroe; (770) 267-5844;
harrishomestead.com

http://www.bit.ly/berryagrieducation http://academics.georgiasouthern.edu/garden http://www.cochran-bleckley.com/area-activities http://www.rootsorchard.com http://www.gagrowntrails.com http://www.georgiaolivefarms.com http://www.bit.ly/gacottonmuseum http://www.gastateparks.org/hardmanfarm http://www.gastateparks.org/generalcoffee http://www.mountainfreshcreamery.com http://www.unioncountyga.gov/reecefarm http://www.shieldsethridgefarminc.com http://www.bit.ly/ahcsmithfarm http://www.southernforestworld.com http://www.sunbeltexpo.com http://www.bit.ly/vidaliaonionmuseum http://www.watermeloncreekvineyard.com http://www.harrishomestead.com

Georgia Magazine - March 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - March 2022