The people and places that make Dickson County uniquely wonderful.

Keller's Corny Country Makes Agritourism Fun and Educational

Bryan and Tonya Keller have lived on their farm in Tennessee City since 2001, starting out as cattle farmers and struggling to break even. Everything changed in 2008 when the Kellers attended a conference offered by the Tennessee Agritourism Association (TAA) and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) where they heard about the Tennessee Agriculture Enhancement Program (TAEP), a cost-share grant program offered by the TDA and funded by tobacco dollars. The Kellers joined the TAA at the conference, came home to Dickson County, sold their cows and dove head first into agritourism.

Their first step was a simple ad in the newspaper that said, "Wanted: Free Playground Equipment", if you visit Keller's Corny Country you will see just how successful that ad was - their barn yard is home to a colorful, fun playground.

In the fall of 2008, their first year of operation, Keller's Corny Country hosted 2,500 guests. In 2012, their fifth year of operation brought 7,000 guests to the farm and approximately 1,700 were students.

The Kellers take pride in their educational program for school children that focuses on the many uses of pumpkins and corn, and how the honey bee is essential to farming. Using music and fun costumed characters, they teach about farming in an entertaining way. When the day is over, each student leaves with a pumpkin and a pumpkin patch coloring book to remember their day.

In addition to their educational program, Keller's Corny Country offers company picnics, family reunions, birthday parties, and most recently - weddings. In 2012, four couples tied the knot at Keller's and this year there will be 13 weddings with more scheduled for 2014. Couples can choose to have their ceremony in the barn, which is complete with a bridal suite, or outside with the farm's pond as a backdrop.

During October, Keller's offers a pick-your-own pumpkin patch, hayrides, a playground, two corn mazes, and a 40' slide into a seven ton corn bin. Concessions are on site with burgers, hotdogs and the famous "Pickle Sickle", a popsicle made from frozen pickle juice. Plans to add corn on the cob, corn dogs and kettle corn are in the works. Their country store offers home-made soups, gourmet coffee, "Corny" t-shirts, Mt. Dew jelly (a crowd favorite), and other homemade items.

Every year, the Kellers dedicate the first Saturday in October as "First Fruits Harvest" with all proceeds from Keller's Corny Country donated to missions. One of their favorite ministries is a home in Cochabamba, Bolivia that houses children whose parents have been imprisoned. In 2009, the Kellers used the "First Fruits Harvest" funds to travel to Bolivia and construct a church in memory of their daughter, Josey Anna, who passed away in 2004.

"After five years we are finally seeing a profit from the farm", Tonya shares, "but most importantly, we are having fun and making an impact on the kids and families in our community."

To learn more about Keller's Corny Country, visit their website, email Tonya, or call (615) 441-4872.

The Dickson Herald, Dickson Shopper and the Dickson County Chamber of Commerce are asking that very important question once again ... What if every household in Dickson County spent an extra $20 on September 20^th?

Again this year The Dickson Herald, Dickson Shopper and Dickson County Chamber of Commerce will rally the residents of Dickson County to show up and support their community by investing 20 incremental dollars on Friday, September 20^th with a Dickson County business.

As our Dickson County residents have demonstrated over the past three years, they like the idea of knowing they can make a difference in the local economy and have proven that investing in their own future by spending locally does have a very positive impact.

To encourage community participation, The Dickson Herald and dicksonherald.com will provide news stories detailing the campaigns local impact. Promotional ads will also publish in The Dickson Herald and Dickson Shopper to keep the campaign top-of-mind with our residents. Social Media updates provided by the Dickson County Chamber, Herald and Shopper will also ramp up the momentum to this special day.