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A diverse landscape consisting of over 3,800 acres of rolling hills, wooded trails, a bamboo forest, two beautiful lakes, and both Red Oak Creek and the mighty Flint River flow steadily through the property.
Our working ranch is home to grazing cattle, a herd of Quarter Horses, and a bountiful flock of pastured chickens. Don’t be surprised if you also encounter a lamb or two during your stay with us and be sure to ask about our honeybees and unique apiary accommodations.
A diverse landscape consisting of over 3,800 acres of rolling hills, wooded trails, a bamboo forest, two beautiful lakes and both the Red Oak Creek and the Flint River flow steadily through the property.
Quercus is home to a beef cattle herd, horse herd, pastured chickens, sheep, miniature donkeys, and several loyal, well-loved dogs.
Here at Quercus Farm all our chickens are free range. This means, each morning their coop doors open, and they have the ability to roam with no boundaries during daylight hours. Their coop doors then close again at sunset to protect the birds from predators.
Unlike conventionally raised chickens, our free range chickens have the opportunity to graze, and forage for natural food sources. This increases their exercise, lowers stress levels, improves egg quality, and results in overall healthier birds. We raise our hens together with cockerels. As natural leaders, cockerels protect the hens, guiding them to the best food and even protecting them from predators. We protect the integrity of the birds by keeping them fully beaked. This allows them to forage and find natural protein sources like insects. All our chicken feed is 100% organic. It contains no artificial enhancers or GMO products. Our organic free-range eggs are available for guest purchase, based on availability.
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Our horse herd is primarily comprised of Quarter Horses including several that were born and raised here on the farm! 2002 we added stock from King Ranch Quarter horses to begin a breeding program. The riding staff schools all guest horses regularly; this enables the guides to get to know the horse’s abilities and personalities. The horses here at Quercus have been specially selected for the work they will be doing, taking into consideration temperament, height, age, experience, and ability.
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Quercus is home to a commercial beef herd consisting of over 400 head of cattle. Fall time is calving season, and you will be sure to see plenty of new calves starting in September (?). Cattle are generally docile creatures known for being great protectors and mothers to their young. Never approach any of our pastured animals, especially young calves, as their mothers may charge to protect their young. Our pastures are homes to our livestock. Please respect pasture fencing and do not cross fencing boundaries other than at designated gates and ladders
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Quercus Farm has been home to a Quarter Horse breeding program for over 20 years and many of the horses were born and raised here on the farm. We use Natural Horsemanship methods for training and starting our horses under saddle. Quercus horses are a key component of our working cattle operation, and are ridden by our cattleman in lieu of trucks and ATVs.
Each of our flocks are pasture raised at Quercus Farm. Each morning, their coop doors are opened, and they have the ability to roam without boundaries during daylight hours. Their coop doors are then closed again at sunset to protect the birds from predators.
Unlike conventionally raised chickens, our chickens have the opportunity to graze and forage for natural food sources. This activity increases their exercise, lowers stress levels, improves egg quality, and results in overall healthier birds. We raise our hens together with cockerels. As natural leaders, cockerels protect the hens, guiding them to the best food and even protecting them from predators. We maintain the integrity of the birds by keeping them fully beaked, which allows them the ability to forage and find natural protein sources like insects. While on property, you might have the opportunity to collect farm-fresh eggs straight from the chicken coop; these are also available for purchase to take home, so please inquire about them during your stay.
Quercus Farm is home to a commercial cow/calf operation consisting of over 600 head of Brangus cattle. This American breed was developed as a hybrid of Angus and Brahman cattle to utilize each breed’s superior traits. Angus are known for their superior carcass qualities and maternal nature, and Brahman for their hardiness in hot and humid climates.
Our cattlemen practice low stress stockmanship techniques. They use traditional methods and prefer to ride horseback, in lieu of using trucks or ATVs, when moving the animals from pasture to pasture. Doing so helps us work with the cattle’s natural behavior instead of against it.
Quercus Farm beef is raised naturally, and our cattle are raised on grass here on the farm until harvest.
Red Wattle hogs have proven to be an excellent fit for us at Quercus Farm. They have a docile nature and are excellent foragers. Red Wattles are commonly identified by their red coloring and fleshy wattles attached to each side of the neck. They are popular for their carcass traits, specifically their well-marbled, flavorful meat. Here, our pigs are raised on pasture beneath the sunshine, with free access to move, root around and wallow in the mud, just as they were intended to. Their diet consists of farm surplus including garden produce and is supplemented with organic pig feed. They especially enjoy pecans harvested from our pecan grove. Life in the pasture isn't just what's best for the pigs, it's also beneficial for our land. To help protect our piedmont ecosystem, our pasture- raised pigs are rotated through cover crops where they perform the critical tasks of cultivation and fertilization. They help to clear overgrown land, as well as improve areas with excess compaction and poor fertility.
On the property sits Red Oak Covered Bridge. “The Red Oak Bridge is an old 1840's covered bridge, built by freed slave and noted bridge builder, Horace King - and attracts hundreds of visitors every year. At 391 feet, including the approaches, this structure is the oldest and longest wood covered bridge still in use in Georgia and may very well be one of the sturdiest. Known as the "Kissing Bridge" it is still open to traffic and was featured in the film "Lawless".” Freshly tilled soil in along the Flint River often reveals pre-European artifacts, including spear and atlatl points, and even pieces of native pottery.
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The Flint River is regarded as one of the South’s most precious natural resources. With 220 undammed river miles, the Flint is one of only 40 rivers left in the United States that flow for more than 200 miles unimpeded. As the river transitions into middle Georgia, the landscape gives way to shoals created centuries ago by a geologic shift in the landscape. This shoal environment is home to a variety of flora and fauna indicative of the mountains to the north and the coastal plains to the south and is critical to some of the Flint River’s most notable inhabitants.
Quercus Farm and its surrounding areas are rich in native American history, including the confluence of Red Oak Creek and the Flint River that was a popular trading hub.
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The famous Red Oak Bridge is located directly on our property. Built in the 1840s by freed slave and noted bridge builder Horace King, the bridge is a prime example of a classic covered bridge and attracts hundreds of visitors every year. At 391 feet, this structure is the oldest and longest wooden covered bridge still in use in the state of Georgia. Known as the "Kissing Bridge," it is still open to traffic and was featured in the 2012 film "Lawless."
The Flint River is regarded as one of the South’s most precious natural resources. With 220 undammed river miles, the Flint is one of only 40 rivers left in the United States that flow unimpeded for more than 200 miles. As the river transitions into central Georgia, the landscape gives way to shoals created centuries ago by a geologic shift in the landscape. This shoal environment is home to a variety of flora and fauna ranging from the rich mountains to the north and the coastal plains to the south. The rich wildlife plays a critical role in the lives of some of the Flint River’s most notable inhabitants.
Quercus and its surrounding areas are rich in Native American history, including the confluence of Red Oak Creek and the Flint River, a previously flourishing hub for traders and trappers. The freshly tilled soil in and along the Flint River often reveals pre-European artifacts, including spear and atlatl points, and even pieces of native pottery, so we encourage guests to keep an eye out for these historical treasures.
At Quercus, we invite you to disconnect and truly embrace nature to discover what life in the countryside has to offer. Quercus is home to a plethora of local wildlife, and during your stay, we encourage you to not only coexist with nature, but to learn more about our wildlife through quiet observation. Common wildlife sightings at Quercus include white tail deer, wild hogs, raccoons, Canadian geese, coyotes, turtles, tree frogs, bald eagles, songbirds, red tail hawks, Eastern gray squirrels, fox squirrels, armadillos, beavers, snakes, woodpeckers, foxes and more.
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At Quercus Farm, we are determined to do our part in pollinator conservation, and we are proud to house several apiaries throughout the property. Just like all the other aspects of our farm, we approach beekeeping from a biodynamic perspective. We are an all-natural property, meaning no harmful chemicals or pesticides that could potentially harm bee populations are used here. We provide our bees with immune-boosting chamomile tea and purposefully farm a diverse variety of plants, including medicinal herbs, to attract pollinators.
At Quercus Farm we use sustainable and biodynamic agricultural methods to raise our produce as naturally and organically as possible. We strive to use what the local environment has to offer to grow, harvest, and eat according to the seasons. Biodynamic farming is a way of viewing a farm as "a living organism, self-contained, self-sustaining, and following the cycles of nature.”
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