Farm Profile: Debbie Brown of Brown's Farm

For Debbie Brown, farming has always been more than growing food. It is a family legacy, a source of purpose and a way to bring people together.

At Brown’s Farm in Mountain City, Tennessee, that connection spans generations. Brown spent much of her childhood on the family farm, where helping with the garden, working in the tobacco fields and making hay were part of her annual summers.

“When I was big enough to walk, I had a hoe stuck in my hand,” Brown recalled. By age eight, she was learning to drive a tractor and helping her father and grandfather in the hayfield.

Although she stepped away from farming as a young adult, her connection to the land never disappeared. After her father and grandfather passed away, Brown watched the farm begin to overgrow and knew she wanted to preserve what her family had built. In 2017, she began participating in beginning farming programs (now called Field School) through the Appalachian Resource Conservation & Development Council (ARCD), gaining knowledge and connections to help guide her next chapter.

“I’m so grateful for these programs and I’m so glad that I’ve participated,” Brown said. “The Field School is a great resource to learn about ag programs and opportunities.” Through workshops and visiting other farms, she explored different gardening production methods and learned how to make the best use of her land. Those experiences also helped her determine that small ruminants, including sheep and meat goats, were a good fit for her farm.

Today, Brown’s Farm is a diverse operation featuring produce, pumpkins, watermelons, winter squash, eggs, livestock and honeybees. She has also expanded into agritourism, welcoming visitors for farm stays, tours and creative experiences that bring people closer to agriculture.

For Brown, sharing the farm is one of the most rewarding parts of her work. She welcomes the public along with homeschool groups, local senior citizens and children from a nearby church, offering opportunities to explore the garden, learn about farming and experience the rhythms of rural life. She is also exploring ways to help aspiring farmers gain experience through being an Incubator Farm, partnering with the AgVols Veteran program, or “Be a Farmer for A Day” and invites folks to work alongside her on the farm.  Beginning 2027, Debbie plans to expand the farm’s educational offerings, including historical tours of its century-old farm buildings.

“Networking is so important,” Brown said. “Being involved with the community is what I love! I can be at a farmer’s market one day and host farm tours or events the next.”

Her partnerships extend to local businesses and regional agricultural networks, including the High Country Food Hub, which she credits as an important outlet for selling her produce. The online marketplace makes it easier for small-scale farmers to connect with customers while managing the demands of running a farm.

Despite the many responsibilities of farming, Brown finds fulfillment in the simple moments: planting in the garden at dawn, listening to the birds and watching things grow.

“Farming is therapy,” she said. “It’s a simple life, but so meaningful and rewarding.”

Through her partnership with ARCD, Brown has gained practical knowledge, valuable relationships and new ideas for sustaining her family’s land. Just as importantly, she is creating a place where agriculture connects generations, strengthens community ties and keeps her family’s legacy growing.

Debbie Brown of Brown’s Farm was recently featured on Daytime, where she shared the story of her family farm and even put her farming know-how to work, making a classic cushaw pie in the kitchen. Watch Debbie’s Daytime feature to hear more about Brown’s Farm, her connection with ARCD, and, of course, get a taste of the farm with her cushaw pie recipe.