One recent sunny morning at a 200-acre farm in this Atlanta suburb, three young girls sit at a table shucking just-picked corn. Nearby, a woman collects money from visitors for the corn and for pick-your-own blackberries. In the distance, workers tackle other farm chores.

It's an idyllic setting, just 30 miles south of the city, and Jimmy Carter, who is not related to the former president from Georgia, is in his element: His grandfather bought the farm in 1938, and Carter grew up here, then came back home to run it in 1975. Those are his grandchildren with the corn, and that's his wife, Kathy, greeting visitors. His son, Jake, is also here.

"Farming is something that's instilled in you that a lot of people don't understand," says Carter, 65. "There's something about nature, and the soil, and how the good Lord blesses us, to create a beautiful atmosphere to raise a family."

Now, Carter is working to ensure that Jake, 31, can carry on and keep the farm in the family. Seven years ago, Jake became partners with his father in this farm, just as Jimmy Carter had done a generation ago with his father.

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