Generation farmers bring new look, life to Flat Top Mountain Farm

Farming runs deep in the Hughes family.

“My dad is an eighth-generation Tennessean and farmer, and my sister and myself are ninth, and our children that help work on the farm now are 10th generation,” Tera Byard said in a phone call.

Byard is the daughter of Terry and Diane Hughes, owners of Flat Top Mountain Farm in Soddy-Daisy.

Today, Flat Top Mountain Farm continues to be run by the Hugheses with help from family that includes daughter Tera Byard and her husband, Ben, daughter Kerry Dishman and her husband, Derrick, and many grandchildren.

“Terry and Diane Hughes have farmed all kinds of vegetables on the mountain, and you have likely even seen them working at the Chattanooga Market for 12 years,” Kerry Dishman said in a news release, noting that tomatoes were originally the farm’s main produce and focus.

“The main Hugheses that came and settled on the land in the 1820s started when there was no one around at all with an apple orchard and just working the land,” Tera added regarding the farm’s rich history. “Over the years, each generation did its

own focus, from produce and livestock and those types of things.”

During the past couple of years, Byard said her parents and family had a desire to look toward retirement, but with a need to still maintain the land and earn a living, they began to look for a different way of farming that also could pull in the community.

“It was time for the Hughes to slow down,” Dishman said. “They now enjoy growing flowers and having a fall agritourism event mid-September to the end of October for locals to come enjoy their farm that they so love.”

During the fall of 2021, the farm opened to the community for the first time, featuring pumpkin patches, flower fields and family activities, including a corn maze and hayrides. This year, the Hughes started even earlier, opening “pick-yourown” flower fields in July that featured rows and rows of zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos and more for guests to come, enjoy and take home.

The farm recently opened for even more fall family fun this year, including two corn mazes, a pumpkin patch, hayrides and vendors, according to the release.

“One of our corn mazes this year is in the shape of the state of Tennessee,” Byard said. “We’re calling it Tennessee Road Trip, and it’s full of points of interest that feature facts and history about the state.”

Also new this year are school field trips. Byard said interested schools can contact the farm to schedule a time to come out with a group by visiting bit.ly/FlatTopFarm.

When it comes to flowers, the farm is still offering “u-pick” containers for $12. The containers allow guests to pick as many flowers as they can fit. Once the containers have been emptied, guests can bring them back and refill for $10.

Zinnias and cosmos are still up for grabs, along with 30 acres of sunflowers that were planted a week apart, so they’ll bloom through the first big frost, which will, hopefully, be late October, Byard said.

“It’s our hope our children and their children will continue with the legacy that was before us.” Dishman said in an email regarding the family’s love of farming and reason for sharing it with the community. “We don’t want to see this way of life go away.”

Hours for Flat Top Mountain Farm are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays through the end of October. All times are Eastern despite the farm being in the Central time zone. Guests visiting on Friday or Saturday can also take advantage of the nighttime corn maze that is family friendly with lanterns and flashlights.

Admission for all fall activities, including hayrides, the corn mazes and pumpkin patch, is $12 per person, which includes a small pumpkin. Children ages 3 and under are admitted free. Larger pumpkins and containers for picking flowers can be purchased for an additional charge. The farm also features a storefront in the barn area that houses items from several local makers, including sweets and treats from Chatta Cakes Bakery, gourmet popcorn from Gadzooks, woodcarvers, local honey, jams and canned items.

“We love supporting local businesses, and having this shop in the barn is a great way to do that,” Byard said.

To learn more, find Flat Top Mountain Farm on Facebook, Instagram or visit bit.ly/FlatTopFarm.