Hillside Orchard Farms began in 1983 as a small backyard cannery. It has since expanded into to a working farm with over 800 products including a country store that sells fried pies, ice cream, breads, fritters and more.
If you are in the neighborhood, the Mitcham Family would like to invite you to come spend a day with them at the farm. Their retail store and farm are rapidly becoming a destination point for all. You can wander out to the barnyard to feed the herd of nanny goats and say hello to Festus the Donkey. Visit the Indoor gem mine and watch a show put on by the residents: “Miner Jim & Donkey.”
In the summer months, there are u-pick blackberries for all to enjoy along with a pavilion and playground. Pick blackberries and then enjoy ice cream while the kids play. In the Fall, many colors of apples and pumpkins mark the farm. There’s a u-pick apple orchard and a corn maze that opens each September. There’s also a train and hayride that run all day on their routes around the farm either to the apples or to the animals.
Hillside Orchard Farms features a variety of businesses. Their Retail segment produces all products in small batches using fresh fruits and vegetables for sale directly to the public. The Farm offers visitors a close-up view of the variety of animals on a working mountain facility. There is also a sizeable Wholesale division that produces Hillside products for national distribution as well as private label, co-packer and value-added services. Among the special brands produced are Mountain Gourmet, JR’s Hot Sauce, Drink Mixers, The Mayhaw Tree, The Jelly Shop, Georgia Vidalia, Spice Blends & Dry Rubs and Thunder Road.
While growing up in rural Georgia, farming and canning became a way of life for Robert Sr. and Patsy Mitcham. During high school, Robert was active in agriculture and his local FFA chapter. He helped in running a canning plant at that school and later became an agriculture teacher and manager of the local canning plant for Rabun County.
Now three generations run the cannery, farm and agritourism operations at Hillside Orchard Farms. They pride ourselves in helping other farmers with finding uses for their fruits and vegetables that need some TLC. They also love showing the public a little more about growing, fun on the farm and good food.
The Mitcham’s are happy to be a family farm and love to be in Rabun County, the Farm-to-Table Capital of Georgia. Please come to see what all Hillside Orchard Farms has to offer and do not leave without a fried apple pie or two.
Hillside Orchard Farms Inc.
18 Sorghum Mill Drive
Lakemont, GA 30552
Phone: 706.782.2776 / 800.262.9429
Email: kiley@hillsideorchard.com
Website: www.hillsideorchard.com