An Iconic American Dessert   

Russ and Carra Goodman operate Cogdell Berry Farm, a seventh-generation family farm. Alongside Carra’s parents, they grow 500 acres of blueberries, run their own fresh packing facility and have most recently expanded into making and selling cobblers under The Great American Cobbler Company.   

The Great American Cobbler Company cobblers can be found in over 6,000 stores nationwide including Walmart, Publix, Piggly Wiggly, Food Lion, Winn-Dixie, Ingles, and Harris Teeter.   

A Chance Worth Taking 

The Goodmans started by researching an up-and-coming crop being grown in the area – blueberries. Blueberries were of growing interest in the consumer market because of their rich antioxidants and positive health effects. However, they were traditionally grown farther south in Florida, and north in New Jersey.  

In 2001, they took a leap of faith and planted the first blueberry bushes on the family farm.    

Over the next few years, the family learned, changed, adapted, and tweaked their blueberry operation. They have re-planted, expanded, transitioned to new varieties, and added machine harvesting because finding labor is difficult. 

Together, they have worked through challenging years that have made them all stronger. 

From Trash to Treasure  

One thing Russ will tell you about himself is that he is always striving and thinking about the future. Although the packing line was a good addition to the operation, the fresh market has high expectations of fruit quality, and they found themselves throwing a lot of good blueberries away.  

They tried numerous ways to use the berries – making jellies, giving away berries and feeding berries to the cows. They even tried making blueberry wine, but nothing seemed to stick. One day, the light bulb came on.  

“My mother makes really, really good cobblers. So, we thought, why don’t we get into a business we know nothing about – frozen foods!” Carra said. 

They soon came up with a plan for making cobblers and successfully approached their lender at AgSouth Farm Credit with the idea. 

In 2020, The Great American Cobbler Company was born. In just a few years, they have quickly grown their local business into a national brand sold in over 6,000 grocery stores nationwide.  

The Value of Relationship  

AgSouth Farm Credit has been with them every step of the way.  

“Without AgSouth we would never have been able to hang on to family land, expand our business, and make the Cobbler Company a reality,” Russ said.  

He says of his relationship with his lender and long-time friend Jon Harris, in Blackshear, Georgia, “You need a banker there with you as a partner, helping in good times and bad. We have a relationship built on trust, integrity, and communication.”  

So Much to Be Proud Of  

Russ and Carra have worked hard and accomplished so much with their farm operation. But their greatest success? They say simply, “we are still standing.”  

On their farm they have endured market collapses, insect infestation, labor shortages, freezes, and hurricanes. Through it all, they are still in business and still farming. He is also proud of The Great American Cobbler Company not because of its success, but because it’s a brand that he can use to support his community and the American farmer.  

The company has created jobs in their small town that has a 40% poverty rate. They buy all their fruit from other American farmers – apple growers in Michigan and New York, peach growers in South Carolina, cherry growers in Washington and Oregon, and blueberry and blackberry growers in Georgia.  

Russ practices the support that he preaches to others. “When you buy our cobbler, you’re not just supporting a farm family, but our whole rural community.” Like many farmers who have weathered years of challenges, Russ is full of wisdom.  

He shares, “Time is limited in quantity, but it is our most valuable commodity on earth. Don’t waste it – try to do something to help others, make a difference, and leave the world better than you found it.”  

For the Goodmans, cobbler isn’t just comfort food, it represents the reward from years of hard work and weathered storms on their farming operation and embodies a passion for serving and promoting the American farmer.  

This story was originally published by AgSouth Farm Credit.