The Butternut Creek Trail is officially open for foot traffic as of Saturday, June 7, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony during the opening weekend of the Union County Farmers Market.
New in 2025, the trail celebrates Union County’s rich history and agricultural heritage. This initiative has been made possible through a long-term collaboration among several key partners, including Union County Government, the Blue Ridge Mountain Soil and Water Conservation District, the Chestatee-Chattahoochee Resource Conservation and Development Council, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
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The gentle trail starts near the Hunter-England Cabin and Historic Homestead, extending nearly half a mile. The initial section of the path runs alongside the banks of Butternut Creek before veering off through a field featuring local crops and returning to the cabin, where an adjacent building has been added, including a sorghum pan and mill.
According to Mickey Cummings, Chair of the Blue Ridge Mountain SWCD, the walking trail has been in development since the cabin was relocated from US Hwy 19/129 in 2018.
“After the cabin was installed a number of years ago, we’ve always had the idea of putting in a walking trail that highlights the agricultural heritage of the county,” he said.
Coming in July, the trail will feature signs explaining the Georgia Land Lottery, the history of local Native American tribes, the development of agriculture and daily life in Union County.
Cummings noted that a grant to pay for the project was secured with assistance from Frank Riley, the executive director of the Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D Council, who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“Our local history is very important, and we need to showcase more of it,” Riley said. “I’m from Towns County and live on a historic farm, so preserving this kind of stuff is what we need to do.”
Union County Sole Commissioner Harold Collins discussed the new historic walking trail and highlighted the importance of preserving local history, remarking that agriculture holds a special significance for him.
“I farmed here all my life, and my daddy made sorghum syrup from back before I was born,” he said. “We only have two mills left in this county; when I was growing up there were probably between 20-30 mills.
“It would be nice if those two mills could go on forever, but there will probably be an end to them someday, so that’s why we want to preserve that.”
Blairsville-Union County Chamber President Steve Rowe followed Collins by adding, “There is an art to making sorghum syrup, but there is also an art to making the equipment you use to make sorghum. There’s a lot that goes into it, and one thing the chamber likes to do is preserve the heritage of our county, and this is a big part of doing that.”
The sorghum mill and pan near the cabin will be used this fall for live demonstrations of syrup production to promote the new Sorghum in the Mountains Festival.
That same day, the Farmers Market opened for the season with Georgia Beef Day, which came with plenty of hamburgers grilled up for guests of the market.
As part of Beef Day, the SWCD, alongside nearly 30 partnering agencies, hosted a public community education day for conservation and agriculture, sponsored by Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D, Brasstown Beef, Nelson Tractor and Farm Bureau.
Market Manager Dustin “Rog” Rogers could not have envisioned a more perfect way to launch the 2025 season at the Farmers Market.
“We had a terrific opening day, and I thought it went extremely well,” he said. “We had a great crowd, close to 100 vendors, and we capped it off with a ribbon cutting. It was an awesome day for sure. I just want to thank all the organizations that came out for the Georgia Beef Day.”
Rogers added that, in addition to Saturdays, the market is open on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“If you need something during the week, you can stop by and see us on Tuesday,” he said. “We’ve got some big events coming up. Be sure to follow us on Facebook for updates.”
