About Tate Farms

Tate Farms is well-known in North Alabama as a pumpkin farm, however, pumpkins have only been a part of the farm for the last 28 of 75 years of farming for Homer Tate and his family. The Tate family's rich agricultural heritage dates back to 1810 in southwest Virginia. The family first came to Madison County in 1867 from Warren County, Tennessee and began sharecropping on the current farm location. 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. The farmhouse was built in 1907 and is still occupied by the family. Homer Tate, continued the farming legacy and raised his four sons on the farm. Today the farm partnership is comprised of Mike Tate, Steve Tate, Jeff Tate, and Stewart McGill. Each of the four partners bring expertise to a special area of managing and running the farm. Many of the partners' children are involved with the pumpkin business as well as Jeff's wife, Michele, who is a managing partner in the pumpkin operation.

The farm, located in the red clay soils of the Tennessee Valley, consists of over 8,000 acres of family-owned and leased land. The farm produces corn, cotton, pumpkins, soybeans, and wheat.

In 1996, with 15 acres of pumpkins, a fall farm agritainment business was introduced. Today's operation includes some 80+ acres of pick-your-own pumpkin fields and 20+ acres of retail play and entertainment space for school children, families and corporate events. The Tate Farms experience provides exposure to a unique working farm, where memories are planted as well as crops. Tate Farms is North Alabama's oldest and largest retail pumpkin farm and agritainment operation.