South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
State histories worth telling
Agritourism trail stops hosted by Black farmers with ties to Georgia
ALBANY, Ga. — Tucked behind the wrought iron gates that line the frontage at 801 Old Pretoria Road is the stuff that retreat-style getaways are made of: an 1851 mansion appointed in period furniture available for rent as a wedding venue or other private event; farm acreage dotted with grapevines, beehives and citrus trees; a long dirt road that leads to secluded, rustic guesthouses and an 85-acre lake surrounded by bald cypress trees draped in Spanish moss.
It’s hard to imagine that such idyllic grounds were once a slave plantation.
Yet, the past and present of this 1,638-acre property, known as Resora and named to reflect resilience and resourcefulness, is worth showing and telling.
As part of the newly launched Southwest Georgia Agri-Tourism Trail promoted on Airbnb, visitors are encouraged to visit Resora and other destinations on the trail for an educational experience that sheds a light on the region’s rich agricultural history. What makes the trail even more unique, considering its history, is that it is hosted by Black farmers with longstanding ties to the area.
The driving force behind Resora and the Southwest Georgia Agri-Tourism Trail is Shirley Sherrod. In 2010, she was forced to resign from her position as the Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture after Breitbart News broadcast some comments she made in a speech out of context, misconstruing her remarks as racist, and the video snippet went viral. Federal officials ultimately realized Sherrod had been misrepresented. She was issued an apology.
Now Sherrod serves on the newly established U.S. Department of Agriculture Equity Commission to address historical discrimination within the department and its programs. But she has been committed to serving the rural community of south Georgia for decades.
In 1968, Sherrod and her husband, the Rev. Charles Sherrod, co-founded New Communities, a nonprofit farm collective that became, at the time, the largest Black-owned landholding in the nation. Discriminatory loan practices ultimately led to foreclosure of the property in 1985, with 20 Black families impacted by the loss. A series of lawsuits and appeals dragged out for nearly 25 years, finally resulting in a $12 million settlement from the USDA in 2009.
Nearly a generation had passed since New Communities had dirt to dig in. To Sherrod, it meant “we had life again.”
The search for another property on which to continue the New Communities mission led to the purchase of the former Tarver Plantation in Albany for $4.5 million in 2011. Sherrod didn’t learn of its history as a slave plantation until a year after the sale. “I had a problem. I had a hard time grasping it,” she said. “This was once a slave plantation. It was once owned by the largest slave owner and the wealthiest man in the state,” she said, referring to Hartwell Hill Tarver.
As part of the healing process, they invited members of the Lower Muskogee Creek Tribe and other groups to perform blessing ceremonies on the land for three years.
During events held at Resora, New Communities publicly reclaims the injustices of the past by posting a large sign at the gate that states: “This land was owned by the largest slave owner in Georgia and is now owned by descendants of slaves.”
Sherrod’s goal for the Southwest Georgia Agri-Tourism Trail is threefold: to support participating farmers in accessing the economic opportunities of local tourism; to raise social awareness on the history and present-day needs of Black farming communities; and to promote racial reconciliation and healing.
The heart of the tourism component is Resora, where the former plantation house is available for retreats, conferences and weddings.
On the grounds are one- and two-bedroom, rustic-looking wood cabins a stone’s throw from the tranquil waters of the cypress pond and a two-bedroom cottage near the mansion. Available for overnight stays through Airbnb, each cabin is fully equipped with modern kitchens, hardwood flooring and living and sleeping quarters with contemporary furnishings.
So far, the Southwest Georgia Agri-Tourism Trail offers two experiences. One is a tour of the farm at Resora that includes a wagon ride, giving visitors a close-up look at some of the 400 acres used for agricultural testing, site-learning and production, including a 200-acre pecan orchard, muscadine grape vineyard, satsuma grove, beehives and experimental plots for growing rice and truffles.
Tour guides weave in stories of the area’s agricultural history, particularly the plight of Black farmers, and the community’s role in the fight for racial equality dating back to the civil rights movement.
“We want this place to be available to all people, but especially Black people, to teach history and heal from it,” Sherrod said. “Training, production, agriculture, culture, history, healing — we can see all of that happening at this site.”
The second experience on the Southwest Georgia Agri-Tourism Trail is one that illustrates the best way Southerners know how to build community and bridge cultural understanding: sharing a meal. That’s the experience Clinton Vicks offers.
A native of Albany, Vicks, 41, worked for nearly two decades as a performer and communications specialist in Washington, D.C., and New York. A few years ago, he returned to his roots to be near family, whose ties to farming date back four generations.
In 2020, Vicks purchased a 1925 home that sits on 5 acres. Naming it The Vicks Estate, Farm & Fishery, he set to work renovating the house and clearing the land. While those projects are ongoing (overnight lodging will be available beginning mid-July), his initial involvement in the trail is as host of “A Taste of the South,” a barbecue cookout in his backyard.
Guests sit under the shade of patio umbrellas with a cold glass of Vicks’ signature ruby red fruit punch as he lights up the grill. He invites participants to help with meal prep by plucking herbs from the garden or shucking corn. As he monitors jerk chicken and slabs of ribs, guests can play cornhole and horseshoes. During a tour of the property, he points out big picture plans to restore a pond and stock it with catfish, bass and bream; to build a barn to raise goats and chickens; to make a clearing in the pine forest to construct a stage for live performances.
He sees participating in the agritourism trail as an Airbnb host as a way to generate revenue to turn those dreams into reality while also being involved in the local community. “I am in a place where I want to come back and give back,” he said.