Our Story 

The Ellis family arrived from Wales in the 1700’s and traveled down the chain of

Appalachian mountains, each generation settling small homesteads along the way until

the family reached the foothills of Alabama.

In the early 1800’s, James Ellis and his wife arrived at the place that would be called

Ellis Gulf, a plot of land nestled at the base of a cleft in Sand Mountain. Here they

discovered rich soil and fresh spring waters that kept the valley green and fertile year

after year. The Ellis’ built their cabin home tucked away beside a stream that flows down

the mountain and began the hard work of building a life in the new land.

Their Granddaughter Saphronia inherited the land and the homestead grew from

subsistence farming to profitable agriculture. The family now raised cattle, sheep for

wool, corn, wheat, and sorghum cane. Saphronia also established a wool co-op to help

local producers gain a larger market share in the industry. The farm grew from a small

homestead plot to nearly 2,000 acres and produced timber for the building boom of the

20th century.

The farm continued to be entrusted to each new generation of the family and with it the

knowledge and know-how of their ancestors that built a relationship with the land over

180 years. Today the farm is owned and operated by Roy Jones, a direct descendant of

James Ellis. In 2006, the farm’s focus shifted from animal husbandry and timber to

specializing in fruit and produce.