Calhoun Produce Farm

Not far from Carroll's, you'll find Calhoun Produce, also in Ashburn. Another family business, Calhoun's got its start in 1980 when Gerald Calhoun started planting butterbeans. His daughter, Sheila Rice is now co-owner of the farm, and explains how the company has grown since those early days. "Dad added peas to the farm in the early nineties," she explains, "and the butterbeans and peas are our bread and butter. He's 75 now and still out there on the tractor. He still plants it and he still picks it," she laughs. "It truly is his passion."  

Fall agritourism brings an influx of visitors to the farm, which features a corn maze and flashlight nights where guests can brave the maze in the darkness. In spring, strawberries are the main crop and the draw for visitors who can pick their own and enjoy fresh ice cream and activities on the farm. During the holidays, Calhoun offers Georgia Grown gift baskets and boxes for both corporate gifts and individuals (those are available in the online store.)  

"Agriculture is very supported in Georgia, and the people who live here really take an interest in learning about it, "Sheila says. "That's what we're here for, to educate. During the fall, we have schoolteachers teach kids about pumpkins and strawberries. We have a honeybee house and we teach kids how good the bees are for produce. I think people are getting back to the core of what their food is and where it comes from. And Georgia Grown has really helped."  

Sheila is able to track their beans and peas all over the country through a tag they use on their packaging. "Once our beans ended up in Washington state!" she exclaims, "but usually they end up in here in the south." Though most people, including Sheila's mother, cook their beans the traditional way, lots of fans are taking their bean recipes to a whole new level. "One of the coolest things we've come across is hummus made from our peas," Sheila says," and it's delicious!" Sheila uses Goya Sazon seasoning in hers, but insists that no matter how you choose to cook your Calhoun beans, love is already the main ingredient.  

Shop for Calhoun products, recipes, and gift baskets at www.calhounproduce.com.