Dresden, Tenn.–Founded in 1920, Sims Farms is located in Weakley County’s Sidonia community and it’s the latest farm to be added to the Tennessee Century Farms program.
Current owner William D. Sims tells the story of the farm’s origins: “In 1916, my grandfather William H. Sims, wife, and three small children left their home southeast of Dresden, TN. They traveled to a small farm five miles west of Sharon, TN, in the 19th district. They farmed there for two years, then a farm a mile south became available for rent on sharecrop. This farm, located on Highway 89, was the start of our Century Farm. Two years later my granddad bought the 96 ½-acre farm. At this time, my dad was 5 years old.”
The family grew sweet potatoes, tobacco, corn, and hay, and raised horses, hogs, and milk cows.
William D.’s father, Wilburn P. Sims, helped with the farming as he grew up. During World War II, he served in the United States Army Air Corps as a mechanic, working on B-17s and B-24s at a base in Liberal, Kansas. Upon returning to Tennessee, Wilburn farmed with his father full-time.
William D. recalls, “Dad was always trying something new in the ‘50s.” These ventures included raising chickens and sheep, and then going into dairy farming and row cropping. The family also raised beef cattle and hogs. Wilburn and his wife, Juanita Sims, inherited the farm in 1955. Juanita was active in the Home Demonstration Club, and Wilburn served as a Farm Bureau director. In 1964, William D. became a partner in the farm with his father.
William D. and his wife, Judy, inherited the farm in 2004. They have three children, and son Steven Douglas Sims manages the farm and rents the land. William, who like his father served as a Farm Bureau director, remains actively involved with the farm, which has grown to almost 600 acres. “The farm was a great place to grow up and was a great place to raise our children,” he said.