From Native Gardens to Cheese Farms:
AgriCulture in the Tennessee Overhill

Agritourism in the Tennessee Overhill contributes to the preservation of a rural way of life and the survival of agricultural practices. Conservation and sensitive management of the land are attracting “consumers” who appreciate the variety of landscapes and are enthusiastic buyers and spectators of local produce, livestock, and events.

The Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association released a new trail guide designed to lead visitors to places where they can purchase slow cured hams, the only cheddar cheese made in Tennessee, apples, daylilies, muscadine wines, and more. There is a dairy plant that offers free tours to learn how ice cream is made, two corn mazes, a Native Plant Garden at the Ocoee Whitewater Center, and a cheese factory run by a sixth generation farmer.

Titled AgriCulture in the Tennessee Overhill, this free colorful brochure includes a map marked with suggested stops along the way and a brief overview of the farming history of the Tennessee Overhill, a region in southeast Tennessee that got its name from the earliest farmers who worked the land there – the Overhill Cherokee.

The trail follows the backroads and highways of the Tennessee Overhill, sometimes winding alongside scenic rivers, sometimes traveling through pastoral farmlands, and sometimes exploring small towns. The brochure also includes a list of traditional agricultural events like the Annual Ramp Tramp in Greasy Creek, and several county fairs.

Farming has always held a place of importance in the Tennessee Overhill for generations, and even though farming has changed, its importance has not diminished. Garden patches, hay bales and silos still dot the landscape and folks who live in the Tennessee Overhill still hold a locally grown melon and a slow cured ham in high regard.

• Native Gardens: Ocoee Whitewater Center, Fort Loudoun State Historic Area and Sequoyah Birthplace Museum.
• Wineries: Savannah Oaks Winery, Orr Mountain Winery, Striker's Premium Winery.
• Corn Mazes: Mason’s Corn Maze, MaizeQuest at Guthrie Farms.
• Nurseries: Mousecreek Nursery, Sunshine Hollow, The Shops at Morgan Lane and Stone Cottage Shops and Gardens.
• Dairies: Mayfield Diary Visitor Center, Sweetwater Valley Cheese Farm.
• Foodways: Benton's Country Hams, Shultz Farm Foods

• Polk County Fair, Benton. Third week in September, (423) 338-4502
• Polk County Ramp Tramp, Greasy Creek. Fourth weekend in April, (423) 338-4503
• Mid-East Tennessee Regional Fair, Athens. First week in September, (423) 745-6947.
• H Bar M Horse Auction, Athens. (423) 745-7587.