White Hills Farms, Dearing, Georgia

“Lavender – the color and scent of relaxation, youthfulness, creativity, imagination, optimism.”

Danica Maricic

Have you been wanting to get out of the city and into the country for some fresh air. Do you want to be able to smell the sweet organic fresh herbs and lavender in a picturesque country setting? Does enjoying a day full of beauty and peace on a beautiful country farm sound like something you would want to do? White Hills Farms is the place for you then. This 28 acre local farm specializes in lavender and the lavender is in full bloom now. The farm is open to the public on Farm Fridays from 10 – 6 throughout the lavender and herb seasoning or by appointment. The lavender will be in bloom till mid-July.

Amy and Patrick Sutter are the proprietors, farmers and hosts when you visit this picturesque farm. Amy will great you with a lovely cup of lavender tea and gladly answer your questions and explain the lavender process she uses to make her products. They moved to the area in 2002 and became very involved with the local food movement and enjoyed supporting the local farmers. In 2017, they decided to buy this farm from friends and to live their dream of living and working on a farm.

We pulled into the long dirt driveway lined by bushes on either side, with the red barn prominently displayed in the distance. Driving in we observed two painters out in the fields, painting their masterpiece on canvas from the scenes around them. We parked and were first greeted by Juanita, a neighbor, of Amy and Patrick, that had a table out front selling beautiful flowers, homegrown tomatoes, and her homemade Cucumber Kimchi.

We walked along the path towards the barn, in front of the 100 year old farmhouse. What a gorgeous home. We were greeted by Amy who was so lovely and welcoming. She explained that we could just walk around the property or get a tour and showed us some of her products. The inside of the barn was closed that day as the lavender was hung up in rows to dry and because of the restrictions with COVID 19. She had to be careful about contamination of the herbs if someone entered the barn sick.

Inside her cute shop, she sells French bathing salts, lavender leaf and flower sachets, lavender bundles, lavender herbal tea, essential oils, lavender pepper and salt, and more. She had a small display outside her store today for all to see. We found out that she offers workshops on soap making, wreath making, fresh herbs, as well as doing garden tours and even yoga classes. Keep an eye on their web page to see what classes are available.

We walked to the area behind the house where we saw a gentleman bent over, cutting lavender plants without getting stung by bees which was impressive. The bees were all over these delicate plants pollinating them as they flew from stem to stem. Along with lavender, there were loads of herbs throughout the gardens for you to see, touch, and smell. We passed large rosemary plants that were very fragrant as well.

Last year they did their first annual Augusta Boucherie (French word for Butchery) which is a celebration of local farmers and they work they do. They bring their high quality meats, cheese, fruits, and vegetables and set up booths for demonstrations as well as tasting. There are demonstrations of how to make sausage, pit cooked fish, oyster roasting, how to make a proper barbecue hash, kneel down bread, rooster bog, and more. It was held last year on November 8-9, 2019. Not sure if it will happen this year but we hope it does. It sounds like a great event. 

We stopped by Juanita's  stand and bought some Kimchi and tomatoes on our way out. Joe loved the Cucumber Kimchi and the tomatoes were colorful and full of divine flavor. This lovely picturesque farm is located at 1419 Fort Creek Road, Dearing, Georgia. If you wish to call and schedule a tour, call 706-595-5081 or you can schedule online at www.whitehillsfarm.us. This is a great place to go and wander through the gardens, sit and relax with a cup of lavender tea, and appreciate the beauty of the lavender. Hope to see you there.

Till next time. Bye for now.