[222] Cheatham County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

For Release: Jan. 9, 2012
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947

CHEATHAM COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Rolling Hills Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO) — The Rolling Hills Farm, located in Cheatham County, has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms Program at the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
In 1910, James Washington Fielder and his wife, Annetta Frazier Fielder, transferred almost 17 acres to James Houston Fielder and his wife, Hettie Adkins Fielder. The farm, located in Cheatham County, is approximately two miles from the Henrietta community. As was the case on many other farms in this area, tobacco was the primary cash crop, but the family also raised vegetables, hay, hogs, chickens, corn, wheat, cattle, sheep and fruit. James and Hettie were the parents of Everett, Clyde, Lance (called “Snooks”) and Dalton.
Lance “Snooks” Fielder acquired his father’s farm in 1945. Lance expanded the farm to 279 acres and continued to raise tobacco, hogs, hay, corn and cattle. Lance married Effie Mae Barfield and, as they had no heirs, Everett Fielder Jr., a grandson of farm founder James Houston Fielder, acquired the 279 acre farm in 1973. Everett married Anita Grigg and they were the parents of six children.
Today, the Rolling Hills Farm is owned by Anita Grigg Fielder, the widow of Everett Fielder Jr., and their daughter, Brenda Fielder. Brenda is married to Jimbeau Hinson. The family owns the original acreage that the founder acquired in 1910and raises cattle and hay on the property. The original farmhouse, home of the founding couple, is still in use by the family and has been restored. The family also maintains an original smokehouse, which serves as a family museum and two log corncribs that the owners use for storage.
In 2006, Brenda Fielder, who serves as farm manager, received the Outstanding Conservation Farmer of the Year for Cheatham County. In November 2011, the family gathered at the historic farm to celebrate their Century Farm certification as well as the birthday of Mrs. Dalton Fielder (“Mama D”) Gupton, who was born on the farm 90 years ago and has lived her life on Houston Fielder Road. Rolling Hills Farm is the 14th Century Farm certified in Cheatham County.

Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farms Program.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owner or request jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the CHP at 615-898-2947.



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