The Market at Rutland Farms

5641 Union Rd. is the address for a market that sits inside a larger working-farm destination in Tifton, with the petting zoo, U-pick activities, and seasonal festivals all part of the same place. That setting gives this market a different rhythm from a stand-alone Saturday setup: you may be arriving for produce, preserves, or baked goods, but the farm also runs outdoor attractions across much of the year. Rutland Farms traces its roots back to a 36-acre farmstead started by Charlie Rutland in 1916, and the farm also names Ryan Rutland in its story today.

What you'll find there

The strongest throughline here is farm-market food tied to the seasons, with produce and pantry items showing up alongside prepared sweets and whatever the farm is highlighting at that moment. Because the farm also runs U-pick crops through spring and fall, what feels central can shift over the calendar.

• -One visitor called out peaches, huge watermelons, and homemade pastries at the market.
• -Another visitor left with a plump tomato, a bag of peaches, and blackberry preserves.
• -Spring brings onion picking starting in April.
• -Strawberry U-pick is listed for April through May.
• -Fall U-pick includes sunflowers in October.
• -Satsumas start ripening around the beginning of November.
• -The farm also offers U-pick flowers for home bouquets or gifts.

Seasonal events are a real part of the visit here, not an extra add-on: the farm lists Southern Saturdays in April, Fall Festival Saturdays, and a Pumpkin Patch that runs September 29 through November 7. What stands out most at Rutland Farms is how fully the market is folded into hands-on farm activity. The petting zoo alone gives the place a distinct texture, with goats, pigs, cows, bunnies, and other animals part of the experience for kids and adults. That agricultural thread keeps extending outward: school field trips are offered for ages 3 to 10, Ag Day includes the petting zoo and wagon rides, and the farm’s calendar stretches into a 35-acre corn maze in fall and cut-your-own Christmas trees late in the year. Even a quick market stop happens inside a property where learning about animals, picking crops, and moving through seasonal attractions all sit close together.

Know before you go

No dogs is the clearest planning detail to know before you arrive. The market is open six days a week, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., which makes it more flexible than a once-a-week market stop. Some farm attractions also run on their own calendars rather than the market’s daily schedule: the petting zoo is open February 1 through December 23, the pumpkin patch runs September 29 through November 7, and the Christmas tree farm opens November 22 through December 20. Admission is required during Southern Saturdays in April and during Fall Festival Saturdays to enter the farm and U-pick areas. For field trips or activity questions, the farm lists 229-386-5111 and paige@rutlandfarms.com.