Vendor Spotlight: Belly Acres Homestead

Belly Acres Homestead is a family farm built on faith, hard work, and a shared dream for the future.

When Tracie and Jonathan purchased their six-acre property in 2016, they were not experienced farmers searching for a business venture. They were parents raising six children, looking ahead toward retirement and wondering what life would look like once the house grew quiet.

After a conversation with a woman from their church about the challenges of becoming empty nesters, Tracie knew she wanted something meaningful for this next season of life. They prayed for direction. What came next felt like everything falling perfectly into place.

The name itself carries the kind of humor and warmth that tells you exactly what kind of family they are. Tracie joked that she was always telling the kids to stop belly aching, and somehow the name stuck, becoming the perfect fit for the homestead that would soon fill with animals, gardens, bees, grandchildren, and purpose.

The property had lived many lives before they found it. At various times it had been a horse farm, cattle farm, auto shop, and even a welder’s shop. But Tracie and Jonathan saw possibility everywhere they looked.

Today the land is alive

 They used pigs to root and turn the hard-packed Georgia clay and goat manure to fertilize while

bringing the fields back to life after years of horse traffic. They planted comfrey, sunflowers, vetch, and dandelions to draw nutrients from deep in the soil to the surface. Over time they have nearly replaced the old turf grass with Dutch White clover and wildflowers.

Filling in an old in-ground swimming pool made space for a sprawling raised-bed garden overflowing with onions, squash, asparagus, collards, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and herbs. The abandoned pool house was transformed into a greenhouse.

Their grandchildren now run through the gardens and pick vegetables that FFA students from Winder Barrow and Apalachee High Schools helped build.

Nearby, goats, pigs, and chickens are thoughtfully cared for in spaces designed to keep them healthy, safe, and comfortable. The couple is even finishing a new barn they built themselves with help from another Winder native, right down to milling the lumber on-site.

Belly Acres raises FFA show-quality Berkshire and Heritage Old Spot pigs as well as Boer goats, and they occasionally offer piglets and baby goats for sale from the farm.

And then there are the bees

Their connection to homesteading and beekeeping grew through their children’s involvement in FFA. Jonathan kept bees with neighbors as a kid and decided to continue learning about beekeeping himself. They are deeply grateful for the ongoing guidance and friendship of close friends and mentors. Each sourwood season they travel to North Georgia near Helen and set up for sourwood season.

Now Belly Acres Homestead manages more than 60 hives. Depending on the season those hives can produce a literal ton of honey. In addition to the hives on their property, they also maintain hives at Winder Chimney’s Golf course and other farmsteads in the area.

The entire property is now protected under a conservation commitment designed to preserve spaces for bees and livestock for years to come, something deeply important to the family.

Despite all the growth, one thing has remained constant: the care they put into every part of the homestead. That philosophy is woven into everything they do

As Tracie shared during our conversation: “Our animals have a purpose, but until that time they live their best life.”

At the market each Saturday, Tracie brings Belly Acres’ wildflower honey, sourwood honey, and beeswax products. Depending on the season, shoppers may also find local eggs and surplus garden produce from the homestead. Perfect timing if you’re looking for local honey for your summer tea or grilling.

In addition to being a longtime vendor, Tracie also serves on the market’s board as a farmer representative, helping support and shape the community they care so deeply about. Belly Acres Homestead is also a valued market sponsor, helping make the market possible each week.

Be sure to visit Belly Acres Homestead at the market this Saturday and follow them on social media at @bellyacreshomestead to keep up with life on the homestead, the bees, and all the exciting things growing at Belly Acres.