The time has come for the cows to come home at Hardman Farm, the 173-acre farm in historic Sautee Nacoochee, just south of Helen, Georgia. Most people know the farm by the iconic gazebo-topped Indian mound and cow pasture.
Hardman Farm is closed in January and February to do restoration and maintenance projects at the farm and to plan for the upcoming season. Around late November each year, the herd is moved.
Spring and cows
“Their presence is missed when the herd leaves in late November each year, and the pasture seems so empty throughout the winter,” Sarah Summers, Assistant Manager of Hardman Farm talked about the significance of the cows returning.
“We at Hardman Farm and the Valley community look forward to the arrival of a new herd in late February and feel that the cows’ arrival is a sign that Spring has sprung.” Summers comes from a long line of family to live in Sautee Nacoochee Valley. She is an 8th-generation resident of the area.
In celebration of the cows’ homecoming and the Farm’s reopening for the season, Hardman Farms hosts a special event, “Cows Come Home Celebration.” This year, it will be on Saturday, March 2, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. This year will be the third year for this event.
“We decided we should hold an event to celebrate the return of the cows to the Valley and our grand reopening, and thus the ‘Cows Come Home Celebration’ was born,” Summers explained.
Dairy barn and creamery
The day is filled with activities centering around the dairy that has operated at Hardman Farms since the early 1900s. Events will include tours of Hardman Farm’s 100+ year-old dairy barn and creamery, butter-making demonstrations, and cooking demos on the wood stove in the historic Hardman Farm kitchen.
Local musicians will provide live music throughout the day, and local artists and crafters will have goods for sale, including handmade soaps, wooden jewelry, garden art, barn quilts, baked goods, stained glass, and more.
Visitors can grab lunch from a local food truck, Mutt & Jeff’s Smokehouse BBQ, or a snack from Old Fashioned Fun Food. Young (and young at heart) attendees can enjoy a puppet show featuring “Daisy Mae & the Holstein Sisters,” depicting the history of the farm. There is also a hayride, farm animals, and old-fashioned games such as corn hole on the lawn.
So much to do
The Hardman Farm mansion welcomes visitors to peruse the main floor. Reenactors depicting Gov. and Mrs. Hardman answer questions and share the historical significance of the farm.
“We’ve got some very knowledgeable reenactors who will portray Dr. & Mrs. Hardman and Mr. Minish, the farm’s caretaker, in the mansion,” Summers added.
“Guests feel almost like they get to ‘meet’ these personalities from the past—it is living history.”
In addition, guests can take a tour of the 100+-year-old dairy barn and see the innovative methods Dr. Hardman used in the dairy operation and even take a short hike with one of the docents down to the old creamery.
The barn and creamery are open daily, but this is the one time during the year when tours of the barn are given, which is a highlight for guests to see how truly impressive the operation is.
“There is a lot to do during the festival, so folks should plan to spend at least a couple of hours at the event,” Summers described. “Old Fashioned Fun Food will also be here with fresh squeezed lemonade, funnel cakes, and boiled peanuts—so come hungry! More than 25 local artists and crafters will be selling their wares throughout the day.”
Parking will be in the main lot accessed off of Highway 17.
Admission to the festivities is $8 per person (children 5 and under, free).
For more information, contact the Hardman Farm Visitors Center at 706-878-1077, email [email protected], or visit Hardman Farm online.
