MACON, Ga. — As Father’s Day approaches, several people across Central Georgia are celebrating their dad.
However, for the Skipper family, they've been honoring their family legacy for four generations.
The Skipper Family Farms — located on 4164 Jones Road in Macon — has been growing corn, soybeans and other cash crops for a longtime. Since 1912, in fact. When John Franklin Skipper and Annie Ruth were married, they received 45 acres of land and soon bought another 45 to complete their farm.
The pair made homemade cane syrup, sold eggs and butter all while raising 10 kids. Since then, the farm has shifted between a wide variety of crops but have recently pushed towards cash crops and now grow pecans, make jellies and jams and even sell Christmas trees during the holidays.
Neil Skipper is the third generation Skipper farmer and has been growing and cultivating plants just like his family before him.
Jacob Skipper is the fourth generation of Skipper family farmers. He works alongside his dad like Neil did with his father. Jacob started when he was just 7 years old.
Now, he handles all the equipment maintenance and tends the land, while his father handles crop maintenance.
Neil has loved the family nature of the farms and recommends those that have an opportunity to work with their family and children to take advantage.
“You can’t buy it,” Neil Skipper said. “It’s just something that not everyone will always have. But, if you can get that opportunity, please take advantage of it, because you don’t always have the opportunity to do that.”
Alongside Neil and Jacob are their respective wives and Neil’s daughter.
With the whole family taking part, the Skipper Family Farms certainly lives up to its name.
However, with Jacob having an opportunity to take over for his dad one day, he’s loved an opportunity to learn so much from him.
While Sunday is a day dedicated to the dads, at Skipper Family Farms, the Skipper family’s roots are buried in a rich father and son history that means so much to them.
“I love the man more than anything,” Jacob Skipper said. “I couldn’t imagine doing this without him… It’s definitely been a blessing working with him, working beside him. He’s taught me many valuable lessons in life.”