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‘This Is My Passion’: Agritourism Flourishes in Covington County at Mitchell Farms

COVINGTON COUNTY, Miss.—A crowd of families gathered at the foot of a stage lined with hay bales and pumpkins on Oct. 5 to listen to Tori Easterling, wearing a red St. Jude T-shirt, as she announced winners of the 2024 Peanut Festival Queen Pageant that her running team, the Swamp Donkeys, hosted in August. 

Their heads adorned with tiaras, Kinley Morehead, Ansley Wade and Hadley Taylor moved forward to stand alongside Easterling and 15 other women wearing matching T-shirts after hearing their names. The group then posed for a photo to commemorate the sixth-annual Swamp Donkey race that they and more than 50 other participants ran at Mitchell Farms near Collins, Miss., earlier that morning to kick off the Peanut Festival. 

Easterling passed the microphone to Jo Lyn Mitchell, who thanked everyone for coming out and thanked God for the beautiful weather before closing the festival’s opening ceremony.

“This is my passion,” the Mitchell Farms co-owner said. “I love to watch the children come out and have fun. I love to watch families walk around. I love to see people enjoying being outdoors together.”

Over the past decade—on top of farming, cleaning, and boiling more than 200 acres’ worth of peanuts across a given harvest—the Mitchells have developed their farm to be a major agricultural attraction for the Southeast. The tucked-away farm recently celebrated its 14th-annual Peanut Festival, an event where more than 190 vendors from across the southeastern U.S. convened on Mitchell Farms this year to celebrate its major crop at the close of peanut season. 

imageThe Tiny Town at Mitchell Farms is a scaled-down town square that features a mansion, chapel and jail among other child-sized buildings. Developments like these are emblematic of the farm’s goal to bring family-friendly outdoor fun to children and adults alike. Photo by Gaven Wallace
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms4_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms4_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms4_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=780%2C519&ssl=1″ alt class=”wp-image-48466″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms4_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms4_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms4_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms4_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms4_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms4_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms4_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms4_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms4_cred-Gaven-Wallace-1024×682.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>
The Tiny Town at Mitchell Farms is a scaled-down town square that features a mansion, chapel and jail among other child-sized buildings. Developments like these are emblematic of the farm’s goal to bring family-friendly outdoor fun to children and adults alike. Photo by Gaven Wallace

Though the farm is preparing for its off-season, hundreds of families attended the 2024 peanut festival like the Tysons from Millry, Ala., who drove an hour and a half to experience its rural atmosphere and family-friendly facilities including the farm’s corn maze, tractor trains, and the several historically preserved log cabins that are stocked with Mitchell family artifacts and antiques. 

Bringing outdoor fun to families like the Tysons is exactly what Jo Lynn Mitchell hopes to accomplish through the farm’s annual peanut festival and other recurring events.

“A lot of kids have never been on a farm,” the 20-year member of the Mitchell family said. “What I’ve learned is that a lot of kids live in town, and all they have is concrete. They never see grass, except if they go to a little-bitty park. So to just be able to get out and see just the wide open and be out, watch some clouds and just get some fresh air is wonderful for them.” 

imageMitchell Farms has multiple play areas like the Corn Barn (pictured here), where children can slide into and play in a sea of corn kernels. Drawing inspiration from a similar installment at her church, Beverly Mitchell hand-made and painted several wooden “climbing trees” that line the inside of the Corn Barn. Photo by Gaven Wallace
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms5_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms5_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms5_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=780%2C519&ssl=1″ alt class=”wp-image-48465″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms5_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms5_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms5_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms5_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms5_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms5_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms5_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms5_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms5_cred-Gaven-Wallace-1024×682.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>
Mitchell Farms has multiple play areas like the Corn Barn (pictured here), where children can slide into and play in a sea of corn kernels. Drawing inspiration from a similar installment at her church, Beverly Mitchell hand-made and painted several wooden “climbing trees” that line the inside of the Corn Barn. Photo by Gaven Wallace

The rustic allure of Mitchell Farms brings many families back year after year and has cemented it as a major attraction in the region. Lane Gandy, who brought his son to the festival on its opening day, said that he and his son have visited the farm every year since 2017. 

“It’s been a staple in the community forever,” the father from Collins, Miss., said of Mitchell Farms. “It’s a good place for the kids—a safe place.” 

‘I Could Have Choked Him’

The Mitchell family has a long history of farming on south Mississippi soil. On Jan. 22, 1796, Dennis Mitchell’s five-times-great-grandfather William, a farmer in Pike County, willed his son Cader Mitchell a set of millstones. After inheriting them, Cader Daniel Mitchell—William’s great-grandson and the first of the family to live in Covington County—used these stones in 1845 to build a sawmill and to settle on Station Creek, a water source only three miles from the farm on the other side of Highway 84. 

imageAn original Mitchell family millstone (pictured) dating back to the 18th century sits just outside of Dennis and Nelda Mitchell’s family home alongside a stone inscription that details its historical significance. Several log cabins, all built by the Mitchell family or their ancestors, also rest on the farm. Inside, these cabins house antiques and artworks that Nelda Mitchell has made and collected over her 60 years living on the property. Photo by Gaven Wallace
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Sign_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Sign_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Sign_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=780%2C519&ssl=1″ alt class=”wp-image-48280″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Sign_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Sign_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Sign_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Sign_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Sign_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Sign_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Sign_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Sign_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Sign_cred-Gaven-Wallace-1024×682.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>
An original Mitchell family millstone (pictured) dating back to the 18th century sits just outside of Dennis and Nelda Mitchell’s family home alongside a stone inscription that details its historical significance. Several log cabins, all built by the Mitchell family or their ancestors, also rest on the farm. Inside, these cabins house antiques and artworks that Nelda Mitchell has made and collected over her 60 years living on the property. Photo by Gaven Wallace

In 1861, the American Civil War began, and the Mitchell family was quick to enlist. Many men in the Mitchell family lost their lives fighting alongside the 80,000 Mississippi soldiers who served in the Confederate army. Back home, a number of unrelated deaths plagued the family as well, substantially diminishing the size of the Mitchell family tree.

“Within a 12-month time from 1861-62 five (Mitchells) got killed in the war. One died at home, and his daughter died. And this Cader Daniel that was here, his daddy was still over in Pike County, and he died,” Nelda Mitchell said. “Charlie Mitchell, who went to Louisiana, survived it and came back. His wife died, and he married the widow of his brother, but they didn’t have any children after they married.” 

Though this period is a dark one for the family’s history, the Civil War was by no means the end of the Mitchell line. Their continued presence in Mississippi is in no small part thanks to Charlie Mitchell, the only family member to survive the war, who stayed in Covington County and had children—seven girls and six boys. 

“Those 13 children, they’re the only Mitchell descendants,” Nelda Mitchell said. “You take Mitchell Road (from the farm), and it’ll be about a mile and a half to where his house was. Of those 13 children, one of them moved to Seminary, and the other ones lived within a five mile circle of each other.”

imageOn top of being a teacher for more than 30 years, Nelda Mitchell (pictured) is a self-trained artist like her daughter Beverly. While she specializes in wood carving, Nelda Mitchell also paints and dabbles in staining glass. Her carving, paintings, and glasswork—like the one she is posed in front of here, which she said is her favorite of all her paintings—are displayed in the several log cabins on the property and throughout the Mitchell family home.   Photo by Gaven Wallace
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nelda-Mitchell_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nelda-Mitchell_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nelda-Mitchell_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=780%2C519&ssl=1″ alt class=”wp-image-48282″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nelda-Mitchell_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nelda-Mitchell_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nelda-Mitchell_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nelda-Mitchell_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nelda-Mitchell_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nelda-Mitchell_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nelda-Mitchell_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nelda-Mitchell_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Nelda-Mitchell_cred-Gaven-Wallace-1024×682.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>
On top of being a teacher for more than 30 years, Nelda Mitchell (pictured) is a self-trained artist like her daughter Beverly. While she specializes in wood carving, Nelda Mitchell also paints and dabbles in staining glass. Her carving, paintings, and glasswork—like the one she is posed in front of here, which she said is her favorite of all her paintings—are displayed in the several log cabins on the property and throughout the Mitchell family home.   Photo by Gaven Wallace

In 1961, Dennis and Nelda Mitchell built a farmhouse on the land that would from then on be known as Mitchell Farms. Dennis Mitchell, who had graduated from Mississippi State University shortly beforehand after changing his degree from engineering to agriculture, decided that he wanted to be a farmer, just as his family had done for generations before him. 

“I could have choked him because when I met Dennis, he was going to be a chemical engineer, not a farmer,” Nelda Mitchell joked. “We’d get to move to Louisiana, Texas or somewhere with big oil companies, and he was smart enough to have done it. (But) something flipped his switch one day, and he didn’t want to leave home.” 

With an $18,000 loan, a carpenter-for-hire and help from a few of their neighbors, the Mitchells built the house they have called home for 63 years and began to farm. At first, the Mitchells took after Dennis’s father, raising beef cows and growing cotton. After a decade of this, they began to grow peanuts as well, a crop that has since become one of the farm’s staple products. 

imageTo allow families to preserve memories of their time on their farm, the Mitchell family and farm staff regularly create photo backdrops across the farm for visitors to use, such as the antique truck (pictured) parked outside of the entrance to the farm’s corn maze. Photo by Gaven Wallace
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=780%2C519&ssl=1″ alt class=”wp-image-48468″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms2_cred-Gaven-Wallace-1024×682.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>
To allow families to preserve memories of their time on their farm, the Mitchell family and farm staff regularly create photo backdrops across the farm for visitors to use, such as the antique truck (pictured) parked outside of the entrance to the farm’s corn maze. Photo by Gaven Wallace

In 1978—seven years after they began growing peanuts—the Mitchells decided that they no longer wanted to farm cows and cotton. Instead, they planted a wide variety of vegetables including peas, watermelons, butterbeans and bell peppers, among others. The Mitchell family sold these vegetables in a “u-pick” garden where customers would come to look through the plants and personally choose the produce they took back home. 

Jo Lynn Mitchell joined the family in 2004 after marrying Dennis and Nelda’s son Don and quickly became involved in the family business. She began by working reception for the farm, answering the phone and engaging in other clerical duties as needed. In 2005, the family elected that Jo Lynn would attend the inaugural Mississippi Agritourism that the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce held in Jackson, Miss. While there, Jo Lynn Mitchell received a nomination to join the Fruits and Vegetables Growers Board, a position that presented Mitchell with the opportunity to learn more about agritourism and become more active in her role on the family farm.  

“(Being on the Fruit and Vegetables Growers Board) gave me the opportunity to travel around and see what other farmers were doing in agritourism, which were a lot of pumpkin patches,” she said. 

imageAfter joining the Mitchell family in 2004, Jo Lynn Mitchell quickly set to bolstering Mitchell Farms’ status as an agricultural attraction for southeast Mississippi. After creating the farm’s pumpkin patch in 2006, Mitchell and her husband and business partner Don’s continued efforts have developed the farm into the multi-million dollar agritourist attraction that it is today. Photo by Gaven Wallace
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jo-Lynn-Mitchell-2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jo-Lynn-Mitchell-2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jo-Lynn-Mitchell-2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=780%2C519&ssl=1″ alt class=”wp-image-48279″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jo-Lynn-Mitchell-2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jo-Lynn-Mitchell-2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jo-Lynn-Mitchell-2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jo-Lynn-Mitchell-2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jo-Lynn-Mitchell-2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jo-Lynn-Mitchell-2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jo-Lynn-Mitchell-2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jo-Lynn-Mitchell-2_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Jo-Lynn-Mitchell-2_cred-Gaven-Wallace-1024×682.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>
After joining the Mitchell family in 2004, Jo Lynn Mitchell quickly set to bolstering Mitchell Farms’ status as an agricultural attraction for southeast Mississippi. After creating the farm’s pumpkin patch in 2006, Mitchell and her husband and business partner Don’s continued efforts have developed the farm into the multi-million dollar agritourist attraction that it is today. Photo by Gaven Wallace

Following this trend, Mitchell convinced her family that a pumpkin patch would be a worthwhile investment for bringing more people out to their farm. Peanut season typically closes around the end of September, so the Mitchells have historically noted a decline in visitors as October begins, an issue that Jo Lynn Mitchell believed she could solve. In the fall of 2006, the Mitchells opened a pumpkin patch under Jo Lynn’s direction and saw their investment pay off immediately. 

“The whole thought was, ‘Well, if I can just get a few people to come out here and get sales to come through October, maybe that’ll make me feel like I’m putting in my part,’” Jo Lynn said. “We had about 5,000 visitors that year. So that was like, ‘Wow, people really would like to come out and see what we’re doing,’”

‘They Have the Most Fun’

With their newfound success, the Mitchells began to steadily develop their farm into the 1,200-acre agricultural attraction that it is today. When Jo Lynn Mitchell first took charge of the pumpkin patch in 2006, Don Mitchell promised her that he would build something on the property each year that the farm brought in more money than they spent. 

imageWith peanut season ending at the close of September, the Mitchells have shifted their focus on pumpkins to bring families to their farm throughout the fall. Visitors are able to purchase pumpkins without buying admission to the farm, but families who choose to purchase a pass to the farm are allowed to pick one pumpkin each from the Mitchell’s patch while supplies last. Photo by Gaven Wallace
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Pumpkins_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Pumpkins_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Pumpkins_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=780%2C519&ssl=1″ alt class=”wp-image-48276″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Pumpkins_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Pumpkins_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Pumpkins_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Pumpkins_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Pumpkins_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Pumpkins_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Pumpkins_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Pumpkins_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms-Pumpkins_cred-Gaven-Wallace-1024×682.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>
With peanut season ending at the close of September, the Mitchells have shifted their focus on pumpkins to bring families to their farm throughout the fall. Visitors are able to purchase pumpkins without buying admission to the farm, but families who choose to purchase a pass to the farm are allowed to pick one pumpkin each from the Mitchell’s patch while supplies last. Photo by Gaven Wallace

Their first investments were humble necessities like public bathrooms, picnic tables and pavilions, but after 19 years of success, the Mitchells have dramatically expanded the farm to include an animal barn, several playgrounds and even a “tiny town”—an old-West style town square that features a replica hotel, mansion and chapel among other child-sized attractions. 

“We’ve got millions of dollars put in this. We’ve just put all our money back in for years, trying to expand,” Jo Lynn Mitchell said.

Jo Lynn’s sister-in-law Beverly Mitchell has also substantially assisted the farm over the years. A self-taught artist who uses projections, clip art and handmade stencils, Beverly is responsible for the many signs, murals and other artworks that can be found across the farm. Each year, Mitchell travels to Collins from Tampa, Fla., and stays for a month to prepare art and signage for the Peanut Festival. From wood cutouts of friendly farm hands to the “watch for tractors” signs that line the property’s main roads, Mitchell’s art adds a charm to many of the farm’s facilities. 

“If it’s regular painting, she didn’t do it, but if it’s something amazing, she did it,” Jo Lynn Mitchell said of her sister’s artwork. 

imageFor visitors wanting full tours of the family farm, the MItchells have two separate tractors that pull guests around so that guests can see the farm’s major attractions. The farm also has a lawnmower-pulled train for young children. Both of these amenities are included with the price of admission. Photo by Gaven Wallace
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms3_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms3_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms3_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=780%2C519&ssl=1″ alt class=”wp-image-48467″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms3_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms3_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms3_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms3_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms3_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms3_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms3_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms3_cred-Gaven-Wallace.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms3_cred-Gaven-Wallace-1024×682.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>
For visitors wanting full tours of the family farm, the MItchells have two separate tractors that pull guests around so that guests can see the farm’s major attractions. The farm also has a lawnmower-pulled train for young children. Both of these amenities are included with the price of admission. Photo by Gaven Wallace

An interior designer who can paint drywall to mimic the textures of materials like marble, leather and stone, Beverly Mitchell first used her artistic talents for the farm by painting a barnside mural of a pumpkin patch featuring a scarecrow, a cow and a couple peanut characters. She used a projector to cast an image from a coloring book onto the barn’s wall, tracing and painting over it with a four-inch paint roller and a two-inch brush. 

“I can project things and make it look like a kid did it, because you want it to look fun and happy,” Mitchell said. 

Though peanut season has come to an end with the start of October, Mitchell Farms’ pumpkin patch is still open to visitors through Sunday, Nov. 10. An admission fee of $20 for anyone 2 years old or older gives visitors access to all of Mitchell Farms’ facilities including the tractor ride, corn maze, play areas and train. This cost also covers the price of a pumpkin from the patch, which guests get to select for themselves.

“Everything we do is one price,” Jo Lynn Mitchell said, “I like to just do one price for everything, because I don’t like going places feeling like I gotta pay to get in and then I gotta buy tickets to do this or that.” 

imageAs pumpkin season continues this autumn, families flock to Mitchell Farms to take photos with the farm’s backdrops. Through Nov. 10, 2024, families who visit the farm can enjoy the Mitchells’ pumpkin patch and fall festivities. Photo courtesy Emonii Patterson
” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms_courtesy-Emonii-Patterson.jpg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms_courtesy-Emonii-Patterson.jpg?fit=780%2C519&ssl=1″ tabindex=”0″ role=”button” src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms_courtesy-Emonii-Patterson.jpg?resize=780%2C519&ssl=1″ alt class=”wp-image-48481″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms_courtesy-Emonii-Patterson.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms_courtesy-Emonii-Patterson.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms_courtesy-Emonii-Patterson.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms_courtesy-Emonii-Patterson.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms_courtesy-Emonii-Patterson.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms_courtesy-Emonii-Patterson.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms_courtesy-Emonii-Patterson.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms_courtesy-Emonii-Patterson.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.mississippifreepress.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Mitchell-Farms_courtesy-Emonii-Patterson-1024×682.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px”>
As pumpkin season continues this autumn, families flock to Mitchell Farms to take photos with the farm’s backdrops. Through Nov. 10, 2024, families who visit the farm can enjoy the Mitchells’ pumpkin patch and fall festivities. Photo courtesy Emonii Patterson

While much of the farm is garnered toward children, Mitchell says that their family welcomes visitors of any age. Alongside working with elementary schools to arrange field trips for young children, the farm regularly partners with nursing facilities such as Boswell Assisted Living, Asbury and Ellisville State School. While seniors may not feel up to climbing the farm’s hay bale mountain or sliding down the giant tractor slide, Mitchell believes the farm still has much for this age group to enjoy.

“They come and they have the most fun,” Mitchell said.

The Mitchell Farm pumpkin patch is open to visitors through Sunday, Nov. 10. Afterward, the farm will close for the season and will reopen in June 2025 to sell sweet corn. Currently, admission is $20 for children and adults over 2 years old. 

For more information about the pumpkin patch, the Peanut Festival, the farm’s hours, and instructions for arranging school field trips or corporate events, browse visitmitchellfarms.com or call the farm at 601-914-9245.

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