HOME ABOUT US PRODUCE BLOG MAKE-A-WISH CONTACT BLOG HomeBlog 12 Oct Fall in Georgia: A Welcomed Change Maggie Farm Life Comments Off on Fall in Georgia: A Welcomed Change It might seem to anyone outside of Southern Valley that the Georgia Fall season is just like the Spring. It’s a fair assumption that in the Fall, we’re bustling with the same Springtime energy and excitement in preparation for another busy season. After all, Fall means we’re back at home, picking, packing, and shipping every single day but The Lord’s Day. But when the Fall finally hits and along with it comes the first cool breeze of the changing season, the pace around here seems to switch. That very first morning we step outside and the cool breeze hits, we slow down and breathe it in. Morning routines normally characterized by rush-rush-rush Read More 18 Jun Counting Our Blessings Maggie Our Story Comments Off on Counting Our Blessings Our love for the land and people of Yucatan, Mexico began in January 2003 after a purchase of some 1,200 acres of farm land in the middle of the Yucatan jungle. And since then, the state of Yucatan has been a home to us and its people a part of our family. If you’ve been around for a while, you’ve probably read or heard about what it’s like at our farm in Yucatan. We’ve written blog after blog about Valle Del Sur – the years of sacrifice it took to make it what it is today, the way the mud feels slick as snot under your boots, and the never-ending Read More 06 May Spring Rebirth Maggie Farm Life Comments Off on Spring Rebirth Last Friday, I randomly felt the need to take a drive. It was well before the typical lunch hunger pains start to creep up and sometime past the dew point, when the sun shines just right and the day really begins. I’m not sure what made me want to or even where I would go, but I just knew I needed it. So, I closed my laptop, slipped on my newly worn in ‘field boots’ that I keep tucked away under my desk, and grabbed my camera on the way out the door. I put my car in drive and hit the gas, squinting past dusty road signs and Read More 23 Jan Yes to Yucatan Maggie Our Story Comments Off on Yes to Yucatan This past July, I was asked to tag along on a dove hunting trip to the farm in Yucatan. I practically jumped at the opportunity, my passport begging to be stamped with a big ‘MX,’ another notch to add on my adventure belt. We landed at the Merida International Airport around lunch on a Thursday, loaded up and hit the road. The drive from the Merida airport to the farm is about two and a half hours, and the first 30 minutes is pretty much just getting out of the city. We passed modern businesses, beautiful homes, and quite a few McDonalds. After that there was Read More 27 Sep Colquitt County: Football and Farming Maggie Our Story Comments Off on Colquitt County: Football and Farming You can’t talk about Colquitt County, the roots of Southern Valley, without talking about high school football. And if there’s anything you can say about Colquitt County football, it’s that it’s earned quite the reputation over the years. A reputation surrounding a strong work ethic, a wide pool of talent, and a passion for the game that’s incomparable to others. The Colquitt County football program has the kind of work ethic that doesn’t just come around when the mornings get cooler and the leaves change color. It’s work ethic that stems from two-a-days, spring and summer practices, and a coaching staff that invests countless hours year-round. Colquitt County’s talent pool Read More 10 Sep A Taste of Tennessee Maggie Farm Life Comments Off on A Taste of Tennessee I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about being at our Tennessee farm that makes you feel closer to God. Is it the fact that you’re surrounded by sheer remoteness? Is it the breathtaking views? Could it be as simple as just being at a higher elevation? Whatever the reason, you feel it as soon as you step outside. You feel it when you breathe in that first breath of crisp dewy morning air. You feel it in the afternoon breeze that floats through the hills and in the soft sunshine that falls delicately across your skin. You can hear it when your boots crunch with every step, colliding with Read More 01 Jul Summer Transitions Maggie Farm Life Comments Off on Summer Transitions Well, summer has offically started which means that summertime heat is in full force here at the Valley. Evenings that were once spent outside enjoying a nice breeze and a glass of sweet tea are now spent swatting gnats in between running from your truck to your front door. It’s the kind of heat where your upper lip sweats if you even think about walking outside and where you wake up every day thanking God that you live in the era of air conditioning. Despite the heat, the Valley is still thriving. The crops seem to savor every drop of those afternoon rain showers in the same way that we Read More 11 Jun Helpless, Not Hopeless Maggie Farm Life Comments Off on Helpless, Not Hopeless Ask a businessman if he believes in a higher power, and his answer could equally be yes or no. Ask a lawyer, a bus driver, your family doctor, a fast food worker, a courthouse clerk, your hair stylist, and they might say yes or they might say no. Ask a farmer — male, female, young, old, new, experienced — if they believe in a higher power, and the answer is almost always yes. The truth is that farmers can control certain aspects of farming, but there are many other factors that are simply out of their hands. They control things like what seeds are purchased, how many seeds are planted, and harvest methods, Read More 16 Apr Farm Life: A Fresh Perspective Maggie Farm Life Comments Off on Farm Life: A Fresh Perspective Before stepping onto the soil of Southern Valley, I had never been on a farm. Despite growing up ten minutes down the road, I’d never sunk my boots into the fresh earth before sunrise or plucked a fresh-grown fruit from the vine. Never smelled the farm-truck exhaust or heard the bees buzz about as they pollenate flower after flower, field after field. This is farm life at Southern Valley. While the fields are full of muddy boots and fresh-picked fruits and vegetables, the office of Southern Valley works just as hard. The Operations team sinks their boots into the hustle and bustle of packing and shipping while the PACK Logistics team Read More 23 Feb When the Pollen’s on the Plastic Maggie Farm Life Comments Off on When the Pollen’s on the Plastic As spring gets nearer, so does the likelihood of what could be mistaken as a head cold actually turning out to be nothing more than allergies. In the last couple of weeks, South Georgia received its first coating of yellow pollen for the year. We know winter isn’t over yet, but spring has begun its entrance into the area and leaves behind little telltale signs of yellow pollen everywhere it touches. Despite the fact that the farm in Yucatan is still smack-dab in the middle of winter season, in the words of Dug Schwalls, “When we see pollen on the plastic, we start thinking about Memorial Day.” We know it’s Read More 1 2 … 7 Categories Farm Life (36) Our Story (26) Recipes (7) Worker Appreciation (19) Recent Posts Fall in Georgia: A Welcomed Change 12 Oct, 2020 Comments Off on Fall in Georgia: A Welcomed Change Counting Our Blessings 18 Jun, 2020 Comments Off on Counting Our Blessings Spring Rebirth 06 May, 2020 Comments Off on Spring Rebirth Yes to Yucatan 23 Jan, 2020 Comments Off on Yes to Yucatan 2775 Ellenton-Norman Park Road, Norman Park, Georgia 31771 229-769-3676 | info@southernvalley.us | Privacy Policy © Copyright 2018. Southern Valley. All rights reserved.