About UsThe Tate family has a rich agricultural heritage dating back to 1810 in southwest Virginia. The Tate family first came to Madison County in 1867 from Warren County, Tennessee. Homer Tate began farming in 1948, although Tate Farms (a joint venture partnership) wasn’t formed until 1987 with Homer and his sons: Mike, Steve and Jeff Tate, and his nephew Pat Brown. Each of the five partners brings expertise to a special area of managing and running the farm. The farm, located in the red clay soils of the Tennessee Valley, consists of 5,000 acres of family owned and leased land. While the farm produces several different crops, including corn, wheat, and soybeans; the principal crop has always been cotton. From a 95 acre cotton crop in 1959, the operation has planted up to 5500 acres of cotton in recent years. Irrigation was introduced on the farm in 1988. There are currently 9 center pivot irrigation systems in operation, watering approximately 1,250 acres. In 2004, sub surface drip irrigation was introduced to water 150 acres of row crops.
In 1995, Steve and Jackie Tate introduced an idea to develop and expand a fall agri-entertainment venture they had learned about while on a farm tour in 1994, with the Tate Farms partners and their wives, Jeanette, Sherri, Michele, and Cristall.
Tate Farms Cotton Pickin’ Pumpkins wants our visitor’s farm experience to be both fun and educational introducing creative, original ideas each year to keep the “fall farm fun” concept fresh. Come visit Tate Farms Cotton Pickin’ Pumpkins and experience a unique working farm, where memories are planted. |
The site of the farmstead was once a thriving trading area for local sharecroppers, as they took advantage of the general store, a blacksmith 
shop, a grist mill, a saw mill, seed cleaning and other related services offered by John Patterson, grandfather of Homer Tate. Patterson built the farm house in 1907. In the 1930's, the house became the home of Will and Carrie Tate, parents of Homer, until 1994. Currently, the house is occupied by Pat and Cristall Brown, farm partners and great grandchildren of the original owners.
So in 1996, on less than 20 acres, Tate Farms Cotton Pickin’ Pumpkins, a fall farm agritainment business was introduced. We chose our name carefully to reflect our agricultural heritage. Our plans were to attract school children and families, acquaint them with the rural lifestyle, promote agriculture and send out a positive message about farming, while at the same time having fun.
Today’s operation includes some 60 acres of pumpkins and gourds, a depot where tour wagons load and unload, picnic areas, two permanent restroom areas, a country store, pumpkin house, entertainment party barn with commercial kitchen, barnyard playground, corn train, corn crib, cotton jump, animals and many areas for photo opportunities,