Tony Baughman 
Trenton Agritourism Venture Continues To Raise The Bar
Agritourism, a lively blend of farming and family fun, is one of South Carolina’s fastest growing industries. A solid contender for the Palmetto State’s finest new example of agritourism is about to launch its second season right here in Edgefield County.
Sara’s Fresh Market, a popular summertime destination for those who crave peaches and other fresh produce, has lowered the curtain for the season at its shed on Edgefield Road in Trenton. Just around the corner, though, fall festivities will officially kick off Friday at Sara’s Farm Adventure.
“It’s a great way to show off all that we have to offer in Edgefield County,” said Karisa Ruth, Director of Retail Sales for Titan Farms, which owns Sara’s Farm Adventure.
Offering more than 25 interactive family attractions across 100-plus acres, Sara’s Farm Adventure is akin to a small amusement park with a folksy farm flavor. It offers its visitors a corn maze, hayrides, a petting zoo and even pig races, among many more family-friendly diversions.
In just its second season, Sara’s Farm Adventure seems poised to become a national titan in the agritourism game. Of course, that’s only fitting considering the visionaries behind the project.
The Sara’s Farm Adventure concept was harvested from a five-year strategy meeting at Titan Farms, the mammoth agricultural enterprise based in Ridge Spring and owned by Chalmers and Lori Ann Carr. Since the Carrs bought the R.W. DuBose & Sons peach operation in 2001, Titan Farms has grown exponentially to become the largest peach producer on the East Coast.
Titan Farms also has diversified its produce portfolio to include bell peppers, broccoli and eggplant. As the fall of 2024 approached, the thinking around the farm was: Why not agritourism?
“I traveled all over the U.S., seeing how different farms did it,” Ruth said. “We took the best ideas of each location, and the team and I made a plan and this is what came to fruition.”
Inspiration From Lake Michigan To The Ridge
In their research for Sara’s, one agritourism enterprise stood out as a model for what Ruth and her team wanted to create in Edgefield County. Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo in New Era, Michigan, is a 700-acre attraction tucked in a tiny village of 251 residents in western Michigan.
Launched in 2004 from an apple orchard and roadside stand selling cherries, Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo has grown to attract thousands to their slice of heaven just a few miles from the shores of Lake Michigan. It was a good example of the possibilities in Edgefield County with a little imagination and a willingness to invest a lot of money.
“Scott Lewis is actually an associate of ours; we do business with him there in Michigan,” Ruth said. “He started with a little roadside market, and he’s grown his into a destination. He was one that really inspired me. His place touched my heart.”
Ruth recalls watching as Scott Lewis stopped to visit with a group of special-needs adults who were finishing up their day at Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo. One of the men in the group clapped his hands and exclaimed, “Best day! Best day! Best day!”
“I really was touched by that, and I said that’s what I want for us,” Ruth said. “I just want it to be the best day for everybody.”
So inspired was the Sara’s Farm Adventure team by what they discovered in Michigan that even the Sara’s website shares the same color palette and a similar design as the Lewis Adventure Farm & Zoo. The selection of attractions at Sara’s seems straight from the Midwestern family’s playbook — and it works beautifully down South.
After a successful first season in 2024, the team at Sara’s Farm Adventure certainly did not rest on their laurels. They have continued to innovate and add to the diversity of the park’s attractions. One new feature for 2025 promises to be a hit with adult visitors.
“This year, we added a concession stand and two silos where we’re selling beer, wine and hard cider,” Ruth said. “We had vendors come in and sell it last year. We had a lot of requests for it, so we decided to do it this year on our own.”
Prior to Friday night’s official opening night, Sara’s Farm Adventure hosted a preview Adult Night on Thursday. The event featured music by Magnolia Honey, a rock trio from Augusta; miniature golf and a golf simulator; and of course, the new beverage silos. Each Thursday night promises to be a treat for the 18-and-over crowd.
Also premiering for the second season are a new spider-web climbing attraction, more pedal cars and a gem-mining attraction where patrons can dig for amethysts, rubies and even a bit of gold. Last season’s experiment with a u-pick sunflower field has been replaced with five acres of zinnias, which patrons will be encouraged to pluck and take home.
“After planting the sunflowers three times and the weather took them three times, we decided zinnias were our ticket this year,” Ruth said.
As darkness falls, visitors may stroll Jack O’ Lantern Lane, a half-mile walking trail illuminated with 14 magical (and spooky) pumpkin-themed vignettes, all set to music.
Growing Together As A Community
One of the more popular attractions, of course, is the seven-acre corn maze. This season, the maze is shaped like a peach tree to reflect the area’s agricultural heritage but also to honor cancer survivors.
“It’s a tribute. A walk of love. A way to honor every fighter, every survivor, and every family touched by cancer,” according to a recent release from Sara’s Farm Adventure. “Each twist and turn is a reminder that hope grows quietly, steadily, beautifully – and that no one walks alone. When you step into this maze, we hope you feel the strength of the roots, the embrace of the branches, and the light of hope that continues to shine in our community.”
Celebrating the local community is an essential part of the culture at Sara’s Farm Adventure.
“We showcase some of the local vendors in our store, from pottery right on down to frozen ready-to-eat foods, Hickory Hill milk, even Yon Farms meat,” Ruth said. “We try to showcase all of Edgefield County, not just Titan and Sara’s.”
Live entertainment also will be a major feature again this year at Sara’s Farm Adventure. Among the artists scheduled to take the stage are three of the biggest acts in Carolina Beach Music, the soundtrack for South Carolina’s official state dance, the Shag.
The Entertainers will kick off the 2025 season Friday night along with a spectacular fireworks show. The Tams – with such iconic Beach Music hits as “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy” and “What Kind Of Fool” – are scheduled for Sunday, November 9. The Chairmen of the Board – famed for such hits as “Carolina Girls” and “Gimme Just A Little More Time” – will perform on Saturday, November 15.
Pumpkin Fest at Sara’s Farm Adventure kicks off Friday and continues through November 16. The park is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with Adult Nights on Thursdays from 5-10 p.m. Jack O’Lantern Lane will be open Friday through Sunday nights starting at 7:30 through November 2.
From the corn maze to the pumpkin village to the beer silos, Karisa Ruth and her team at Sara’s Farm Adventure hope everyone who visits walks away having truly enjoyed their own aforementioned “Best day!”
“Our mission is truly to make lifelong memories with families that come with us,” she said. “And our vision is to eventually be the benchmark for agritourism in South Carolina. So we’re trying to use what God has already given us and do it in a way that people go out and think, ‘I wouldn’t have thought of doing it that way.’ We’re trying to get kids off their iPads and get out here and connect with nature, learn where their food comes from. We’re here to make friends and make memories.”
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