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Davenport Farm.We invite you to tour the Chatt Hills Barn Quilt Trail and learn more about the rich rural heritage of beautiful Chattahoochee Hills. Visitors are welcome to take photos from the public road, and are invited to shop in the local businesses.
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Still Daffy (#47)
8120 Jones Ferry Rd 
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Retirees settle into their hobby farm
Rick and Jan Davenport found greener pastures across from their son's farm in Chattahoochee Hills. They weren't quite ready to retire at that time, so they purchased the land and leased it to their son for his pastured farm animals.
Over the next few years, Rick and Jan became friends with the neighbor, Miss Grace, who sold them her farmhouse in 2020 before it went up for sale. They established a hobby farm raising ducks and seeding their other hobbies. When selecting a pattern for their barn quilt, they requested a duck colored in the light browns of their Khaki Campbell ducks. They named it "Still Daffy" in honor of the cartoon character Daffy Duck, which seems captured in still-life. |
Living a simpler life down on the hobby farm
Rick & Jan on the porch of Grace House.
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Jan crochets an afghan as one of her hobbies.
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Rick holds a squawking duck named Snow White.
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Rick & Jan's interest in farming was sparked in 2017 when their organic-farmer son and daughter-in-law, Peter & Kristin, mentioned a pasture was for sale across the road from them. They visited the pasture, which had a stunning country view, and decided to purchase it for their future use and lease it to Peter & Kristin in the interim.
While touring the property, they met the next-door neighbor, Miss Grace Peek, who asked if Rick might help her turn on her ceiling fan. This turned into a wonderful visit and house tour, which blossomed into an enduring friendship over the years. When Miss Grace decided to sell her house in 2020, she offered it to Rick & Jan before putting it on the market. With their parents passed on and their children gone from the nest, the couple decided the time was right to begin their next chapter. They sold their Fayetteville, Georgia, home of 20 years and moved into the 1912 farmhouse and named it "Grace House" in honor of Miss Grace.
Rick began hobby farming in the traditional sense when he decided to raise pasture ducks for eggs. He bought a variety of duck breeds including Khaki Campbell, Indian Runner, and Harlequin, and then set about fencing in sections of his pasture, preparing water ponds and feeding areas, and training up Martha, their livestock guardian dog. He quickly learned his quirky fowls were like pigs with wings, playing in the mud and splashing water about. They may have been messy, but they had plenty of pluck and attitude, which he liked.
Rick and Jan began hobby farming in the non-traditional sense by setting up their farmhouse with designated spaces for their many hobbies. The first room off the central hallway is Rick's music room where he practices his saxophone, which he has continued to play since meeting Jan in high school band all those years ago when she played the trumpet. On the walls are photos and artwork from their world travels during the last part of Rick's career in chemical engineering when Jan was able to join him on business trips. A large comfortable living room is Jan's favorite place to crochet. For inspiration, she has displayed many antique needlepoint pieces and heritage quilts on the walls. Her hobbies also extend to teaching crafts to her grandchildren and volunteering at the community library.
In the early hours after sunrise, the couple enjoys watching their son from their window milk the cows in their shared barn. In the hours just before dusk, the couple enjoys walking by Rick's potted plant garden, where he directs them like a choir, encouraging them to perform. In between, the couple loves walking down the road to see their grandchildren, or having them visit and help out around the farm.
Rick and Jan feel richly blessed to live on their hobby farm and enjoy this simplified, contented time of their lives.
While touring the property, they met the next-door neighbor, Miss Grace Peek, who asked if Rick might help her turn on her ceiling fan. This turned into a wonderful visit and house tour, which blossomed into an enduring friendship over the years. When Miss Grace decided to sell her house in 2020, she offered it to Rick & Jan before putting it on the market. With their parents passed on and their children gone from the nest, the couple decided the time was right to begin their next chapter. They sold their Fayetteville, Georgia, home of 20 years and moved into the 1912 farmhouse and named it "Grace House" in honor of Miss Grace.
Rick began hobby farming in the traditional sense when he decided to raise pasture ducks for eggs. He bought a variety of duck breeds including Khaki Campbell, Indian Runner, and Harlequin, and then set about fencing in sections of his pasture, preparing water ponds and feeding areas, and training up Martha, their livestock guardian dog. He quickly learned his quirky fowls were like pigs with wings, playing in the mud and splashing water about. They may have been messy, but they had plenty of pluck and attitude, which he liked.
Rick and Jan began hobby farming in the non-traditional sense by setting up their farmhouse with designated spaces for their many hobbies. The first room off the central hallway is Rick's music room where he practices his saxophone, which he has continued to play since meeting Jan in high school band all those years ago when she played the trumpet. On the walls are photos and artwork from their world travels during the last part of Rick's career in chemical engineering when Jan was able to join him on business trips. A large comfortable living room is Jan's favorite place to crochet. For inspiration, she has displayed many antique needlepoint pieces and heritage quilts on the walls. Her hobbies also extend to teaching crafts to her grandchildren and volunteering at the community library.
In the early hours after sunrise, the couple enjoys watching their son from their window milk the cows in their shared barn. In the hours just before dusk, the couple enjoys walking by Rick's potted plant garden, where he directs them like a choir, encouraging them to perform. In between, the couple loves walking down the road to see their grandchildren, or having them visit and help out around the farm.
Rick and Jan feel richly blessed to live on their hobby farm and enjoy this simplified, contented time of their lives.
Heritage story . . . An old smoke house and Peek family tradition
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Clovis & Grace Peek's farm was famous in the community for their Bar-B-Cues, with farm-raised pork slow cooked in their smoke house and Brunswick stew made from their family recipe.
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The farm Rick & Jan purchased was known as the old Peek home. Built by Henry Peek in 1912 for his coming marriage to Jewell Eidson, the couple had 10 children. According to their son Thomas, who has worked at the nearby Palmetto Paper Service and Hardware Co. for 30 years, the children were: Clara, James, Raymond, Mildred, Thelma, Clovis, Thomas, Willis, Saraetta, and Allen.
The farm was next owned by son Clovis and his wife Grace. They had an impressive smoke house on their farm, which they used for family and community Bar-B-Ques. The above photos were posted to the "Memories of Old Campbell County" Facebook, and the "My Heritage" website.
Rick & Jan look forward to using the Smoke House for their yearly Nana and Pappy camp.
The farm was next owned by son Clovis and his wife Grace. They had an impressive smoke house on their farm, which they used for family and community Bar-B-Ques. The above photos were posted to the "Memories of Old Campbell County" Facebook, and the "My Heritage" website.
Rick & Jan look forward to using the Smoke House for their yearly Nana and Pappy camp.
Rick gives a tour of the smoke house, which was among the many farm buildings and treasures sold with the farm. Logs were inserted in the opening on the bottom left.
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Meat was placed on the grill and the covered lowered to slow cook the meat for hours. The smoke added to the flavor of the Bar-B-Cue pork as it was pulled through the chimney.
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A variety of pots and cooking utensils were stored in the smoke house. The large pot in the rear was likely used to cook Brunswick Stew using the family recipe above.
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