14 April 1927: Cofer's Buys 200 Acres for Nursery

On this day in 1927, the Athens Banner-Herald ran a story announcing that Cofer Seed Company had purchased 200 acres in Wilkes county to grow seed for their Athens retail business. Now located on Mitchell Bridge Road, at the time, H. L. Cofer & Company was at 369 North Lumpkin Street downtown, near the intersection with Hancock Street. That site now houses the building for Athens First Bank & Trust.

Throughout this week in 1927, H. L. Cofer & Company had run ads in the paper for spring planting:

Potato plants: 30 cents per hundred; $3.00 per thousand.

Cabbage and onion plants: 20 cents per hundred; $1.75 per thousand.

Tomato plants: 15 cents per dozen; 75 cents per hundred; $3.00 per thousand.

Cofer's began selling to Athens area farmers in 1922, and are "Georgia's oldest family-owned garden center." While they still sell vegetables and herbs in the spring, their primary clientele is now the home gardener or local landscaper. They offer not just ornamentals, but also grills, patio furniture, pots, compost, soil, fruit trees, statuary, and still provide expert advice to their customers.

Stuart Cofer serves on the Board of Directors and Retail Executive committee of the Georgia Green Industry Association, which "advances and promotes the horticulture industry" through legislative advocacy for landscapers and growers, and providing training, certification, trade shows and conferences for those in the "green industry."

Learn More:

Athens Banner-Herald, April 1927 - September 1927 on Microfilm in the Heritage collection.

Athens, Georgia City Directory 1928 in the Heritage collection.

Consumer and Business Guide for Athens, Georgia and Vicinity in the Heritage and Reference collections.

Herbs, Fruits, & Vegetables for Georgia by James A. Fizzell in the general collection.

Vegetables and Fruits by Don Hastings in the Heritage and general collections.

Guide to Georgia Vegetable Gardening by Walter Reeves in the general collection.

Tim and Sally's Vegetable Garden by Grady H. Thrasher in the children's collection.

Efficient Vegetable Gardening: Getting More Out of Your Garden in Less Time by Paul Doscher in the general collection.

Cofer's Home and Garden Showplace website.