Impression: How an ice cream manufacturing unit turned a wedding location | View
The focal issue of Very little River Farms on Batesville Highway in Milton is a attractive white barn employed right now as a premier wedding facility. That was not usually the situation. Right here is the tale.
Again in 1964 Milton entrepreneur and civic chief George Ivey (1921-2014) acquired that an ice product factory in downtown Atlanta was being demolished to make way for a new Atlanta Braves stadium. He observed an prospect and moved swiftly to acquire it. He experienced the 6,000 square foot steel body construction dismantled and moved to his 1,700-acre farm. Immediately after placing the framework back collectively, he protected it with wooden and painted it purple.
The principle of a marriage venue was George’s concept. Late in lifestyle, as George approached 90, he instructed his spouse and children that after his death he preferred his farm to become a spot in which younger older people could start off their life jointly. Joe Ivey, George’s grandson who manages the wedding facility with his spouse Jennifer, suggests his grandfather “was type-hearted, yet relentless” when an concept obtained into his head. “At 90 he realized what younger individuals would want for their weddings.” Immediately after his death, his one of a kind barn was converted into a stunning wedding facility and painted white.
George used his barn to help his beef cattle operation, a single of many enterprises he operated from his farm. In the late 1960s he switched to dairy farming, a enterprise he experienced professional when handling the Irvingdale Dairy in Chamblee as a significant faculty pupil. He marketed milk directly to the community as a result of his chain of 57 Milk Jug travel-by means of benefit merchants located from middle Georgia to Chattanooga, Tennessee. He delivered milk in 50 percent-pint jars to the community colleges in Atlanta, Fulton County and DeKalb County.
The Tiny River Farms Dairy delivered milk to area college techniques in glass 50 %-pint bottles. George also offered milk right to the public through fifty-7 generate-through stores from middle Ga to Chattanooga.
He lifted and bought 500 hogs a yr and had far more than 10,000 laying hens. He operated his have quail and duck looking preserve for 30 years, and when that enterprise shut, he raised quail to aid conservation initiatives in South Georgia. To feed all his animals, George grew 300 acres of corn. At a single time he employed 200 folks, producing him a single of the biggest businesses in North Fulton County. Later on he closed some of the businesses and decreased the farm to 80 acres by advertising massive tracts to a golf training course developer and to a homebuilder.
George was a people human being. Busloads of school youngsters frequented the farm nearly just about every day where by they toured the dairy and chicken functions. According to Joe Ivey, nearby bigwigs, mayors, reps and organization leaders would pay a visit to the farm for fish fries and barbecues. George cherished to entertain and blend that with organization.
He normally helped people in want.
“I observed him aid numerous, quite a few people above the several years,” states Joe.
George and Helen Ivey in 2004.
George was a thriving and influential business executive. He started out the Ivey Development Corporation in 1946 and crafted hospitals, educational institutions, procuring centers, barracks on nearby army bases, the runway at Dobbins Air Force Foundation and hundreds of residences.
He experienced a substantial perception of civic responsibility, serving on the Atlanta Regional Commission and on the MARTA Board of Directors where he fulfilled and married an additional board member Julia Mitchell Ivey (1933-2013) of Rockdale County. Julia was a very accomplished banking govt and eventually succeeded George to grow to be the next female to provide as Chairperson of MARTA.
No issue how prosperous George was, his first adore was the land. Joe recalls how George would appear household from a MARTA or a business enterprise conference in match and tie and inside minutes transform into his striped overalls.
Now the Minimal River Farms Marriage ceremony Location is 1 of the most preferred in the North Atlanta area, hosting some 100 weddings a year. Julie Ivey, Joe’s sister, who manages the parking for up to 250 visitors says her brother and his crew “made our grandfather’s dream arrive true.”

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