Cotton Hills Farm in South Carolina: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Cotton Hills Farm in Lowrys, South Carolina, is a fifth-generation family operation of about 1,000 acres whose leader, Jeff Wilson, was named the 2025 South Carolina Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year, according to Clemson Extension. RFD-TV reports that the farm began in 1882 as a 100-acre wedding present and has since grown by adding produce, pumpkins and agritourism to its row crops.
| Location | Lowrys, Chester County area, South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1882, as a 100-acre wedding present (RFD-TV) |
| Sectors | Row crops; fresh produce; pumpkins; cut flowers; agritourism |
| Scale | Approximately 1,000 acres (Clemson Extension); pumpkins alone cover over 100 acres (RFD-TV) |
| Why it is elite | 2025 South Carolina Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year; fifth-generation family farm |
| Ownership | Wilson family; Jeff Wilson works alongside his sons, with grandchildren starting to help |
| Official website | Cotton Hills Farm official site |
History of Cotton Hills Farm
According to RFD-TV's Clemson Reach feature, Cotton Hills Farm was founded in 1882 as a 100-acre wedding present, before Clemson University existed. Over the generations the farm grew and diversified well beyond its original size. Clemson Extension's 2025 announcement calls it a fifth-generation family farm run by the Wilsons, with Jeff Wilson working alongside his sons and his grandchildren already getting involved.
In December 2025 Jeff Wilson was named the South Carolina Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year, which made him the state's entrant in the Southeastern Farmer of the Year competition. Clemson's write-up emphasizes diversification, sustainability and direct-to-consumer sales as the farm's guiding ideas. RFD-TV adds that the Wilsons credit Clemson for broadening their outlook and reinforcing the work ethic the farm depends on.
What Cotton Hills Farm Grows and Raises
Cotton Hills Farm began with row crops and still farms them. Clemson Extension describes a diversified operation with row crops, produce and cut flowers, supported by an on-farm market, u-pick fields and agritourism. The farm's own site lists strawberries, peaches, sunflowers, pumpkins, tomatoes, watermelons, cantaloupe, okra, green beans, squash, cucumbers, cotton, wheat and grits among its products, which shows how many enterprises share the same land and labor.
Pumpkins have become a major crop, with RFD-TV reporting more than 100 acres of production. The Wilsons also use the highway: fields are visible from the road, and farm tours let customers follow a crop from planting to harvest. That visibility turns the working farm into its own marketing channel, and it supports the on-farm market that sells much of the produce directly.
How Cotton Hills Farm Makes Money
Row crops
Cotton, wheat and other field crops remain part of the business and give the farm a base of commodity production. They also keep machinery and acreage working while the produce enterprises are scaled up or down.
Fresh produce and pumpkins
Higher-value fruit and vegetables, along with more than 100 acres of pumpkins, add income per acre that commodity crops alone may not deliver. RFD-TV highlights this shift to fresh produce as a deliberate strategy.
On-farm market and agritourism
Clemson Extension notes an on-farm market, u-pick and agritourism enterprises. Selling directly to visitors captures retail margins and builds a customer base that returns each season.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Cotton Hills Farm
The first lesson is to add enterprises in steps. Cotton Hills Farm started with row crops and layered on pumpkins, peaches, watermelon and other produce over many years, rather than abandoning what already worked. The second lesson is to use location: visible fields and farm tours are low-cost marketing for a farm near customers.
Finally, the 2025 award stresses sustainability and direct sales alongside size. A farm of about 1,000 acres can compete with much larger operations when it earns more from each acre, involves the next generation and keeps its brand in front of local families.
A farm that has outlived 140-odd years of weather, markets and changing tastes deserves a standing ovation, and perhaps a hot cider donut. When you want farm satire that tips its hat the same way, farm.FM collects farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes that are gentle on pumpkin growers and cotton farmers alike. We only joke because anyone who plants 100 acres of pumpkins has earned it.
Readers who want the full experience can pair the jokes with Tractor Tunes, the country music for farmers that farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, plays between stories. This author page is a fine starting point.
How to Contact Cotton Hills Farm
Website: https://www.cottonhillsfarm.com/
Contact details are published on the farm's own website; visit it for market hours, u-pick seasons and tours, which vary by season. Confirm before traveling, November 2026.
Cotton Hills Farm Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Cotton Hills Farm official site - The farm's own website with products and seasonal information
- Clemson Extension: 2025 Farmer of the Year - Announcement of Jeff Wilson's award and farm description
- RFD-TV Clemson Reach feature - History from 1882 and the farm's diversification strategy
- South Carolina Department of Agriculture listing - State agritourism listing for the farm
- USDA NASS South Carolina profile - 2022 Census of Agriculture figures for South Carolina farms and crops
Cotton Hills Farm FAQ
Where is Cotton Hills Farm?
Cotton Hills Farm is in Lowrys, South Carolina, in the Chester County area.
What award did Cotton Hills Farm win?
Jeff Wilson was named the 2025 South Carolina Sunbelt Ag Expo Farmer of the Year, according to Clemson Extension.
What does the farm grow?
It grows row crops such as cotton and wheat, plus produce, pumpkins, peaches, strawberries and cut flowers, with an on-farm market and u-pick.
Can the public visit?
The farm runs an on-farm market, u-pick fields and agritourism. Check its website for current hours and seasons.
Cotton Hills Farm shows how a fifth-generation South Carolina family can keep a 1882 farm competitive by adding produce, pumpkins and visitors to its row crops. To compare it with other award winners, see the South Carolina farms guide and the other profiles in this directory.