Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2019 - 33

d Land loves the 188 acres of
his Chattooga Belle Farm, where
Black Angus cattle roam in fields
near pick-your-own rows of
raspberries, blackberries, grapes, figs and
paw paws at Long Creek, South Carolina.
Yet what Land harvests, mainly, are
memories of beautiful brides, handsome
grooms and lively music. "Weddings are
the big deal," says Land, 61. "Right now,
the most important thing that goes on on
this farm are the weddings."
As many as 50 weddings a year are
held here, with as many as 325 guests.
Why the success?
"It's green grass into the pastureland
into the forestland into the mountains."
Land says, scanning the horizon. "And
there's not a lot of places you can see it
unobstructed."
Such a view is amplified in autumn,
according to Land, when "the muscadine
grapes start turning their golden yellow."
Even as a boy, Land pined for days
outside. "My childhood dream was to be
a park ranger," he says.
Land attained the rank of Eagle Scout,
served in the U.S. Army and spent eight
years as a drill sergeant. He built a successful masonry business, too. Then, in 2005,
he bought what became the Chattooga
Belle Farm (864-647-9768)-an operation
named for the nearby Chattooga River

and the middle name of both his grandmothers.
This was once part of the Horseshoe
Lake Farm in Oconee County, South Carolina. "And we pushed and shoved and
burned 22,000 apple trees," he says. "An
apple tree has a life, just like we do."
Still, he saved a few. Land now has
2,000 apple trees plus 220 peach trees.
Land ships excess fruit to make wine
at Georgia's 12 Spies Vineyards. More fruit
goes to an on-site distillery, added in 2015
to produce vodka, gin, bourbon, brandy
and moonshine. Even more fruit is served
as part of the lunches at the Chattooga
Belle Farm's bistro.
Showing off jars inside his farm store,
Land says, "Anything apple has come off
this farm."
Land and his wife, Kitty, 50, added
three tiny houses-Llama Lodge, Chicken
Coop and Beehive- in 2018, all overlooking the 22-acre Horseshoe Lake. Then, in
2019, the Lands bought the nearby Long
Creek General Store.
"I like to create new things," says Ed
Land. "I'm a little ADD, so this is perfect
for me. My hobby is I like to farm. I like to
see things grow. I like to grow a business
or grow an apple tree. I'm a capitalist at
heart, but I'm a conservationist at heart,
too. And they can both go along with
each other."

SOUTH
CAROL
INA

FARM & STAY: Chattooga Belle Farm, Long

Creek. Includes three tiny houses.

DO: Pick-your-own farm; distillery, bistro

and farm store on site; fishing lake; tire
swings; disc golf.

EATS: Lunch at Belle's Bistro at farm;
dinner at Humble Pie, Long Creek, 864647-9098.

ABOVE: Chattooga Belle Farm includes a distillery.
RIGHT: A bottle-fed calf has entertained distillery visitors in 2019.
BELOW: Kitty and Ed Land are the proprietors of the Chattooga Belle Farm at Long Creek, South Carolina.

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019

Blue Ridge Country - September/October 2019

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