One Evans County farm was recently honored by the Georgia Centennial Farm Committee for its more than one hundred years in existence.
The Threatte Farm at Bunton Place, owned by Greg and Sharon Threatte, joins just four other Evans County farms in earning the designation. The distinguished declaration recognizes farms that have been owned by members of the same family for 100 years or more.
Since 1993, Georgia has recognized historic farms in an effort to honor heritage and encourage preservation of agricultural resources for future generations. In order to qualify, the working farm must have been in the same family for at least 100 years or the farm must have been at least 100 years old and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Farms must be at least ten acres in size originated from the original farm and must generate at least $1,000 in annual income.
Family History of The Threatte Farm at Bunton Place
The Threatte Farm at Bunton Place, a 54 acre farm located on Edgar Griffin Road in southeast Georgia’s Evans County, dates back to 1919, just after Evans County broke off from Tattnall County. B.A. (Bedford) and Alice Threatt moved to the area from South Carolina and purchased 102 ¾ acres of land where the farm operation began with a mule and walk behind equipment. The property also offered a home, which is still standing today, but was ‘already old,’ when they moved in, according to Threatt’s son RK (Kenith). It’s believed that the home was built in the 1800s, though no formal paperwork on the home exists.
RK grew up on the farm and married Elveda Mann, with whom he had three children. Following the death of RK and Elveda, the property was divided into three parcels for their children.
Some ninety years after its creation, in 2009, Greg purchased 9.87 acres from the estate of his uncle, David W. Threatte, to add to two parcels that had been gifted from other family members. Then, in 2022, Greg and Sharon purchased two more parcels from his aunt’s estate, bringing the property total to 54.06 acres. The farm now consists of the acreage, the homeplace dating back to the 1800s, and a house that Greg and Sharon currently occupy.
Over the last 104 years, the property known as ‘the farm’ has generated everything from corn, peanuts, and tobacco to soybeans, sunflowers, watermelons and hay, along with velvet beans, blue lupine, and vegetables. Livestock have played a large role as well, including mules, draft horses, cows, hogs, goats, and chickens.
A Special Place
Greg has written a number of short stories about his grandaddy and his memories on the farm, which consumed his childhood.
“My summers were spent there where I assisted with the farm chores…One of the pleasures of days spent at Granddaddy’s was the frequent opportunity to go to the pond after the chores to catch a mess of fish…[the memories] take me back to a much more simple time, when all the necessities to entertain an active young teenager were found on that little piece of Heaven, just three miles from home, where I now call HOME.”
And in 2015, Greg and Sharon married at The Threatte Farm at Bunton Place.
The farm is diverse in what it offers and is not only home to Greg and Sharon, but to dozens of animals over the years as well. The husband and wife also decorate various parts of the parcels for seasonal enjoyment for those in their community, inviting all to come and visit.
2023 Recognition
Greg and Sharon traveled to Perry during the Georgia National Fair festivities on October 11 to be formally recognized by the Georgia Farm Bureau and the Georgia Centennial Farm Committee. Just twelve other farms in Georgia earned the designation this year.
The other four Evans County farms to earn the designation since the inception of the Centennial Farm Program are:
Mitchell Green – 1993
Frank Simmons Farm – 2001
Bell Farms – 2010
Pharris Johnson – 2016
