HomeFarm
Oakleaf Home Farm is a homage to the pioneering spirit.
A return to the value of deeply connecting with a sense of place, and a call to celebration with the spirit of the land.
The Highlands-Cashiers Plateau contains such natural mysticism that it has been beckoning travelers to explore its cool streams, flowing waterfalls, and lush forests from cities throughout America for over a hundred years. Scientists and artists alike have flocked for exploration and enlightenment. Today, there are few properties available outside of the area’s country clubs and private neighborhoods that allow visitors the freedom to intimately experience the awe firsthand during their stay.
A long champion of the intersection of history, nature, the arts, and horticulture, Oakleaf Flower and Garden has partnered with a forward-thinking landowner in Highlands to create Oakleaf Home Farm. Situated on 17 acres at the base of Blackrock in beautiful Horse Cove, this experiential development will create a backdrop for elopements, weddings, sportsman’s weekends, and cherished family gatherings. Enjoy a combination of pristine pastureland, historic apple orchards, ponds, streams, and flora and fauna so rare that a Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust Conservation Easement protects the property.
Imagine
Imagine sitting around a peaceful pond with loved ones. Between laughs and sips of your cocktail in the cool summer air, you glance up to see the 1000-foot rock face towering over you- an ancient host welcoming your treasured memory making. Cocktail parties with friends watching evening primroses open just before the sun goes down and the summer fireflies put on a show isn't the only form of magic under Blackrock. There are many locations perfectly suited for special events at Oakleaf Home Farm.
Get Outside & Play
Consider a small elopement ceremony on the pond near the barn, followed by a champagne toast and intimate dinner in the screened pond pavilion. What about a bridesmaids' luncheon in the cutting garden where staff will help the ladies make their bouquets for the big day? Large weddings under the primeval shadow of Blackrock are a wedding photographer's dream, the kind of enchantment that isn't duplicated. A ceremony under the Moss Glade's shady tree canopy is a visual confection with lanterns and floral bouquets hanging from tree limbs. A large marquee tent beautifully planted on the back meadow near the glade is the perfect place for a big, happy, riotous wedding party! Music, fabulous food, flowers, fireworks, belles, and beaus make for an unforgettable Highlands event.
Sportsman's weekends are always a coveted adventure at Oakleaf Home Farm. Horseback riding, on-site skeet shooting range, and fly-fishing close by on the Chattooga can be an ideal bachelor party getaway or the perfect corporate team-building weekend.
Explore
The House
The location of the prestigious 2019 Cashiers Historical Society's Designer Showhouse, the house at Oakleaf Home Farm sleeps 10, with a gourmet kitchen, downstairs game room, and spacious deck with a spectacular view of Black Rock. On the lawn is a fire pit surrounded by Adirondack chairs as well as badminton net/supplies, corn hole boards, and nerf cannons.
The Pond
Clear cool waters fill this pond, perfect for a summer dip or fishing with the young ones.
Moss Glade
Foraging classes will be held throughout the summer when guests will learn mushroom identification, native edible plants, nuts, and berries ID and then enjoy a chef-prepared meal from their gatherings.
The Barn &
Cutting Garden
The barn near the pond and cutting garden is artfully outfitted for...
Meadow
Lush and open the meadow is the perfect backdrop for photos or wild flower gathering.
Black Rock
Dramatically ascending over 1000 feet into the air, Black Rock creates an awe-inspiring backdrop for any event or picture. Oakleaf Home Farm is nestled at the base of the mountain, making the view available from anywhere on the property and any room in the house.
Orchard
Oakleaf horticulturists are working to restore the heirloom apple orchard, offering in-season classes and workshops about apple culture on the plateau. Imagine picking apples and making cider and apple butter from your day's yield!
About the Land
The historic property on Horse Cove Road has a long and colorful history of ownership......
Carolyn Ritchey McCall grew up playing in woods and creeks. The child of an Army doctor, her family moved often but despite the changing landscape, her love of nature followed. Eventually landing in the Atlanta area she earned a degree in Fine Arts and began her career as an artist creating works of abstract landscape with various psychological overtones. She was exclusively represented for over a decade by the preeminent Fay Gold Gallery.
As her family grew and the family’s food and wine business expanded, she traveled the world exploring new terrain – carrying always a sense of awe and respect for the natural wonder of each destination. When she discovered Horse Cove in 1997 it captured her heart as arrestingly as had South Africa’s wine country. She acquired the old Norris farm and brought her family up from Atlanta on weekends.
As time progressed she identified neglected and subdivided properties in the area, and resolved to rescue them from the threat of development, working closely with the Highlands Cashiers Land Trust for the last 10 years to preserve over 100 acres of land. Carolyn resides in Horse Cove with her horses, and still works daily to preserve its unique beauty. The culmination and experience of life and landscape has brought her to the mountains of North Carolina, defending forests, creeks and open land.
