Welcome To The Farm

In 2014, my wife and I moved South Carolina after serving in the United Air Force. 

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In 2017, we purchased the land on the corner of Sitton Mill and Sitton Shoals as a hunting property.  Little did we know that this property would change our lives. The more time we spent there the more we loved it and decided to build a home.

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Upon settling in at home, the hunting aspirations re-emerged. To attract deer, we planted a substantial orchard consisting of peach, apple, pear, cherry, persimmon, chestnut, and mulberry trees. Additionally, we planted blueberries, blackberries, muscadines, grapes to further entice the deer and other wildlife. Initial thought was to plant it and leave it. Little I know that this was not the case! It was intense, and the learning curve was a full-time job in itself. This quickly evolved into planting a garden to attract more wildlife My wife will attest that I do not undertake anything on a small scale. 
 

We then panted a 5-acre garden, and we had an overabundance of produce, so our kids and their friends began picking from the orchard and garden in addition to selling eggs at the end of our driveway. They were so excited because they could keep all of their earnings. It quickly, became successful, but I was uncomfortable with them standing by the roadside. Consequently, the children and I constructed a farm stand, we have now converted into a bridal suite. It quickly gained popularity, and we achieved USDA Certification, and became a SC Certified farm stand. The kids learned numerous life lessons about hard work and managing their little "giant empire". We soon grew a strong customer base, and many of our elderly customers shared stories about the property's history.

After hearing many stories and conducting extensive research, we discovered the farm was steeped in fascinating history. The the farm once had a gold mine on it. I am frequently asked if I have found any gold, and my answer is always same: if I had, I would not be fixing my own fences. Later, the farm was owned by the Sitton family, from whom our road takes name. The Sittons owned a flour mill off of the Conross Creek remnants of this still exist on our property. Finally, it became a well-known fish hatchery and restaurant.  The old restaurant was bulldozed down before the purchase of the farm by us.  ​

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Later on in 2019, we acquired the land across for the main portion of the farm. We set out to transform it from unusable land into pastureland. After setbacks and years of extensive work, it has now become our venue location, featuring a beautiful pasture and pond.

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Initially we decided to a different direction. With my degree education, ventured into agri-tourism, offering a petting zoo, wagon ride explaining the history of the farm, and lessons about agriculture. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, we once again had to switch gears.

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I have always expressed my desire to build a wedding venue. With the love and support of my family, the McLadke Orchards venue was established. I have always envisioned an establishment for the working family, a place where dreams can come true at an affordable price. No matter where this journey takes us, this commitment will never change.