Cory Mosser started farming as an afterthought. After graduating from college, he hiked from Maine to Georgia on the Appalachian Trail and broke bread with several friendly farmers along the way. Upon his return, he was hooked and convinced that the secret ingredient to reinvigorate our communities was the sharing of food- produced and eaten locally!

Over the years, Mosser garnered many lessons of the whole food system. From managing a restaurant that sourced regularly from local farmers to managing Farmers Fresh Food Network, a co-op of sustainable growers in West Georgia and East Alabama and a stint at Destiny Organics, a wholesale distributor located at the State Farmers’ Market in Forest Park, Georgia.  All the knowledge he gained was put into practice in Savannah at Harvest Lake Farm, a project begun by Farmer D at Hampton Island Preserve.  He grew citrus, sugar cane, rice and even olives.

After two years at Harvest Lake, the opportunity to return to Atlanta was realized in the management of  an organic farm outside of Atlanta where he presently resides.

In July, Mosser welcomed his third daughter to the world, which completed his family’s all-female cast of 2 dogs, a cat, 30 chickens, and several thousand honeybees.  He is considering adding some billy goats next year just for the company.

What prepared you to be a farmer?I bumped my head a lot, and tried to learn lessons along the way. Being a parent has taught me patience, hiking the Appalachian Trail taught me resilience; a degree in history taught me context, and being married has taught me not to take myself so seriously…

What is a unique feature and how many acres do you farm? The farm currently consists of 16 cultivated acres that are certified USDA Organic. The most interesting aspect of this farm is that it is a true heritage farm- it has been in the same family since 1809. There are agricultural records that go back to pre-Civil War, so I can go back and look when the first planting of corn was done 150 years ago. That’s quite a tool to have as a farmer.

Tell us about your main crops and how you chose the varieties.  If you have livestock, tell us about your feed and how they live on your farm. We try to highlight the tradition of the plantation by growing heirloom and open-pollinated varieties whenever possible. Our 3-acre orchard contains Blackberries, Figs, Plums, Paw-paws, Persimmons, Pears and Blueberries. One notable crop is our heirloom Elephant Garlic- It was found growing wild near a long abandoned homestead on the property and we were able to cultivate it this past year. Some of the heads are the size of a tennis ball. It’s Fantastic!

How much of food goes to farmers markets and or restaurants? About 80%

What challenges do you have as a farmer?  I could write a book on this. Time is the big one. Learning to prioritize dozens of independent projects all occurring simultaneously within a small window of time takes a tremendous amount of organization, skill, and even more luck. Operating a truly diversified farm spread out over several square miles is kind of like juggling bars of soap in the rain- if it rains…

Where do you see farming in the future? On a global scale, the developing world will continue to adopt environmentally damaging methods of industrial farming as private businesses buy up huge chunks of land in Africa, South America and Asia. Farms of several thousand acres will be the norm.  Stateside the prospects are a little better, but there is the real danger of the local farm movement being co-opted just as the term ‘organic’ has been. The future viability of small independently-run farms rests solely on the ability of consumers to demand and differentiate the real thing from marketing-hype. Not that it would necessarily be a terrible thing, but I see in the not-too-distant future a Wal-Mart sponsored local farmer.

Where would be your ideal location for your last supper, what would be your meal & music and who would join you ?  Mountains, nothing fancy over coals paired with creek-chilled beer, crickets and frogs with some banjo accompaniment, close friends and family with guest appearances by John Muir, Thomas Jefferson, Wendell Berry, and Paolo Conte.

Event Photos
Pickled Pink with Veggies and Pork Belly

The August heat subsided for just a few hours at Burge Plantation on Sunday, August 15^th. Rich in history from the 1800s and passed from generation to generation, Burge Plantation was the perfect site for a true For Food’s Sake farm-to-table dinner. Since 1809, Burge has been owned by the Morehouse Family.   Forty For Food’s Sake members, who were chartered 45 minutes from Atlanta to Social Circle, were greeted with ice cold Georgia peach tea with lemon grass and pears, served in old fashioned mason jars. As soon as the jars were filled, everyone was invited to pile on the tractor for a hayride through the plantation.

Driven by plantation owner Sandy Morehouse and narrated by Farmer Cory Mosser, members were enlightened to several of the crops growing on the farm, as well given insight into farming tips and techniques that explain how organic farming is maintaining its success. We learned that before WWII, chemically-derived nitrogen was unheard of, as all farmers used crop dusting to nourish the soil. But, at Burge, they’re cultivating the soil with legumes, which “fix” nitrogen into the soil as they grow.

Together, Sandy and Cory are reviving the organic farming heritage at Burge, now selling produce to both chefs and consumers. (Find them at the Peachtree Farmer’s Market every Saturday!) Harvests include tomatoes, potatoes, onions, broccoli, asparagus, squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, peppers, garlic, lettuces, beans, okra and corn, and it changes yearly and seasonally, as they learn what works in the soil.
…Getting hungry yet?
At the conclusion of the hayride, Chef Andrew Featherstone served appetizers while guests toured the historical main house and story cottage, both filled with artifacts found on property dating back to 8000 BC. Guests munched on fried quail from the plantation, fresh okra with bacon and mozzarella, and fried green tomatoes topped with okra caviar and crawfish mayonnaise.

Dinner started with a self-serve She Crab Soup, topped with Georgia-caught shrimp. Creamy and delicious, it was the perfect perk to begin a 6-course meal. We sampled pickled okra and beets, quail eggs, fresh goat cheese, garlic chips made from the rare and indigenous garlic growing on the plantation. It didn’t stop there… the food kept coming, with soft Johnston dairy buttermilk sorbet, pickled watermelon rind, tender pork belly and a fresh fig topped panna cotta. Six courses down, everyone had full bellies and new inspiration to start their own gardens at home.

Aside from indulging our appetites, we expanded our minds, learning a little something with each course. For example, overgrown okra is too hard to eat, but you can use the seeds and serve “okra caviar” (thus exemplified in the appetizers) instead. Chef created the evening’s garlic chips after a long process of figuring out just how to cook them. His experiment led to some crisp and delicious chips he sliced right off the garlic, boiling and drying them 3 times over, and then deep-frying. He served them with fresh goat cheese alongside a medley of pickled veggies.

Currently, Burge Plantation is a private hunting club and fully working farm. In the course of its existence, it’s gone from crop farming to cattle operations, hay production and back to crop production.  They’ve discovered indigenous garlic growing on the property which they’re naming Burge heirloom garlic. It’s elephant garlic related to leek, showing off beautiful blooms around mid May.  Currently, they’re storing over 100 pounds and selling it at The Farmers Market.

Passed hors d’oeuvres
Chilled Mason Jar of Georgia peach tea with lemongrass
Fried Green Tomatoes & Crawfish Mayo & Okra Caviar
Gum Creek Bacon, Okra & Smoked Mozzarella
Cornmeal Fried Quail Roasted Eggplant & Red Curry
1st Course
Charleston she crab soup, Calypso Hoppin’ John with Georgia shrimp and lobster oil
2nd Course
Pickled Salad: Quail egg, beet & Okra – Coles Lake goat cheese & Garlic Chips,
Sun Gold Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette
3rd Course
Chilled Winter Squash Puree with Yogurt & Local Honey
4th Course
Johnston dairy Buttermilk sorbet &  Pickled Watermelon Rind
5th Course
Crispy Pork Belly –  star anise and cinnamon, Fennel , Arugula & Cucumber Slaw
6th Course
Panna Cotta & Sun drenched Burge Figs

Photos provided by Kitty Ray Swain