SPRINGHILL TREE FARM

continuing a legacy

Dan Provence and his son, Daniel work around the clock to make Springhill Tree Farm one of the most popular agritourism locations in the region. With their recent addition of racing pigs and new fruits and vegetables, they are well on their way to meeting their goal.

Both of Provence’s parents were farmers, so farming came naturally to him. However, he never expected his farm to grow into what it is now.

Provence’s family moved to Bainbridge before his senior year of high school and purchased the farm from the Dixon family in 1982.

Th e barn was an old cow barn that had horses, approximately 100 cows, donkeys and Holstein heifers. Th e family sold the animals in 1993 and converted it into a Christmas tree barn. During the off season, the family would host weddings and birthday parties there.

Provence said his father loved seeing people enjoy and take in the beauty of the barn. When he passed away, Provence was determined to keep that same tradition; thus creating Springhill Tree Farm.

Provence has been operating the farm for 11 years now, off ering activities throughout the year. In October, families can come to Oktoberfest, where they can pick, paint and chunk pumpkins, walk through the corn maze, take a hay ride, or play in the corn pool. When it begins to get chilly, Provence begins to unload the Christmas trees for families to come purchase.

Recently though, his son returned home and they ventured into a new territory, adding U-pick strawberries during the spring and pig races during the fall and spring.

“When he was young, I didn’t make him work on the farm,” Dan said. “He was busy with school and soccer and football and I didn’t want to push him on it. I didn’t want to make his mind up on what he wanted to do.”

Despite Daniel’s lack of interest when he was younger, he returned and began planting food plots for deer.

“He got the bug of growing and watching stuff grow,” Dan said.

Daniel still has a full time job in LaGrange as a marketing manager at Interface. However, he believes this is his true calling.

“I hope to eventually take over the farm,” Daniel said proudly.

Daniel admitted that his dad was right about him getting the “bug to watch things grow,” as growing the strawberries were his idea.

“I had a buddy who told me they had done it a few years back and it was really successful,” he said. “I had really enjoyed helping my dad grow the corn maze, and I thought I could grow these and really contribute.”

Daniel believed growing the crop would not only allow him a larger role on the farm, but would also complete the loop of agritourism, giving visitors something to do every season.

“We constantly are adding to it, so people can have something to do,” Daniel said. “I feel like Springhill is the premier place for agritourism.”

While they aren’t quite ready yet, Daniel and his dad have added two new crops to their rotation that they hope their customers will enjoy.

Th ey recently planted some peaches, along with strawberry onions.

“What we’ve done is plant onions between strawberries,” Daniel said. “Th e onions are supposed to absorb the strawberry’s fl avor.”

Another addition to the farm that Daniel believed would add value were the pig races.

Daniel said he wasn’t sure if people would even enjoy pig racing. He also said he, nor his dad, knew how to train pigs to race. But, they quickly learned once “Eye of the Tiger” comes on, the pigs would be up and moving, racing around the track to get a cookie treat.

“Th at was something me and dad added right before we opened up last season, because we just wanted to have more things to do out here,” Daniel said. “For me, being nominated reaffi rms that people enjoy what we are doing out here.”

Dan is thankful to be recognized aft er years of building the farm.

“I’m excited about the nomination,” he said. “It’s a real honor and we are really proud of the growth.”

Daniel expressed his gratefulness too, saying he and his dad put it a lot of long hours, sometimes questioning if it will ever pay off , but this nomination and support from the community proves it has.

Becky Bardin WORKING DUSK TILL DAWN: Dan Provence and his son Daniel have taken a family farm and turned it into a local agritourism hot spot.

Winter 2022 / BAINBRIDGE LIVING 13