SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP

ASHLEY TURNER, JONNA AND DEREK LYNCH 

W.C. Bradley Farms is a property on the Chattahoochee River in Stewart and Quitman Counties which has been a division of the W.C. Bradley Company of Columbus since 1917. The land is rich in human history, from Native American mounds and artifacts to ruins of pioneer forts and subsequent settlement.

W.C. Bradley began acquiring the land in 1917, and his son-in-law, D.A. Turner, introduced his offspring to a love of outdoor pursuits and land stewardship. Today, the 155+ members from the 3^rd through 7^th generations of the W.C. Bradley family enjoy gathering at the Farm to enjoy a range of recreational opportunities, from traditional quail hunting to hiking and horseback riding. Numerous conservation efforts are in place, such as a Wetland Reserve Program and Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative with the NRCS, Partners in Fish & Wildlife with the USFWS, and a 5,500-acre Conservation Easement with the GA-AL Land Trust. Much of the property is dedicated to growing timber. Various agriculture projects take place on the land, with over a dozen center-pivot irrigated fields leased for conventional agriculture, a 210-acre USDA certified-organic and regenerative grazing project, and a market garden serving employees and local markets.