Foster Brady Farm History

The land that is now Foster Brady Farm was originally purchased on March 17, 1860 by James Holmes McGaughey. His daughter and her husband, Sema and Samuel Foster, built a two room house on the land in 1879, where all six of their children were born. James gifted the land to Sema and Samuel on December 17, 1885. When Sema passed away in 1896, Sam continued farming and raising the children. Three of the siblings never married and continued farming the land after their father’s death.

On February 15, 1944, Edward Foster, purchased each of his siblings’ share of the land, giving him sole ownership of the property. He and his two sisters grew corn, cotton, wheat, and other cash crops sold to the local mills. They also raised cows, pigs, and chickens and sold eggs, butter, and pork to the local community. In 1966, Edward, gave a parcel of land to his nephew and wife, Dan and Dollie Foster, to build a house.

In 1984 Edward died and left the rest of the farm to Dan, who raised a few cash crops and cattle while he ran the local furniture and appliance store in Monroe. One of Dan’s daughters and her husband, Cheryl and Hal Brady, built their home on the property and helped Dan manage the land. Dan received the Walton County “Conservationist of the Year” award in 2001, and the farm was given the Georgia Centennial Family Farm Award in 2003. At this time, it became officially known as “Foster Brady Farm”. Dan passed away in 2009, splitting the farm between his two daughters. Cheryl and Hal continued to operate their half of the farm as Foster Brady Farm.

Cheryl’s son and daughter in-law, Clay and Paula, both ecologists by training, began to grow and sell produce as a side job in 2009. At this time, they also began the long and laborious process of transitioning the farm from chemical-laden, conventional methods to organic and sustainable agriculture and land management practices. In 2011 Clay left his day job and began full-time farming and management of Foster Brady Farm. In 2013, Foster Brady Farm was again awarded “Conservationist of the Year” in Walton County.

After nearly 150 years of conventional farming practices, Foster Brady Farm is now a diversified, sustainable farming operation that has maintained organic standards through a Certified Naturally Grown certification since 2012.