Our History
Since 1946 we at ADAMS-BRISCOE SEED COMPANY have recommended special “ABC” seed mixes for Farm, Hunting, Wildlife Preserves, and State & Federal Agencies to be used for the improvement of wildlife food & habitat and for conservation & environmental uses. We try to provide our customers with quality seed and related items at fair prices. We offer service that is often not available from larger companies and product knowledge to help you in selecting the seeds to best serve your needs. Please call us if we may be of any assistance to you. We appreciate your business very much.
Simple Beginnings
After the depression in the 1930’s Mr Bob Etheridge borrowed $500 from his sister to open a seed store in Jackson, Georgia which went by the name of Etheridge Seed Company. He hired Mr.Otis Stephens (who later owned Stephens’ Grocery) work for him in the business.
In 1943 T.A. Carmichael, Gus Carmichael & Maurice Carmichael, purchased the business from Mr. Etheridge and they operated as Carmichael Company.
The Adams-Briscoe Partnership
In 1946 Rufus Adams and Everett Briscoe negotiated with the Carmichael brothers to purchase the company and on November 6, 1946 they bought the business and changed the name to Adams-Briscoe Seed Company. Both Rufus and Everett came from an agricultural background and before beginning their partnership they both had been employed by the United States Department of Agriculture working for different agencies. Their personalities and experiences complimented each other, so with hard work and with the expanding agricultural economy in Georgia the business grew as well.
The Business Grows
In 1953 Rufus Adams talked his brother, J.B. Adams, into opening up a store in Forsyth, Georgia which they named Adams-Briscoe Farm Supply Company. J.B. and his wife, Emmie Adams, ran this store until J.B.’s death in 1967. After her husband’s death Emmie continued to operate the business until 2003. J.B. and Emmie had three sons: Danny, Jimmy, and Rufus who all worked in the business at some point in time.
In 1955 Rufus Adams and Everett Briscoe purchased Macon Feed & Seed Company. They also opened stores in Griffin and McDonough for brief periods of time. The Macon stores eventually grew into four retail lawn and garden stores in the Macon and Warner Robins area.
A Family Tradition
In 1972 Jimmy Adams had finished college and returned to work at the Forsyth store. In 1975 Rufus Adams talked him into moving to Jackson and he hired him to manage the Jackson store.
Everette Briscoe decided to retire in 1982 and he sold his interest in the seed company to his partner, Rufus and in 1988 he sold Rufus his interest in Macon Feed & Seed Company as well.
Rufus Adams had no intention of retiring and stayed active in the business until his health began to decline. In 2003, At age eighty-eight (88), he sold the business to his nephew, Jimmy Adams and Jimmy’s son Greg. Rufus passed away only months later in January of 2004.
Jimmy and Greg Adams still operate the Jackson store and Jimmy’s brother, Rufus, works with them on a part-time basis. The Forsyth and Macon stores were sold before they purchased the business.
Seed Innovators
Adams-Briscoe Seed Company continues to provide seed over a wide geographic area shipping seed all over the United States. Urbanization has taken away a great quantity of the agricultural land in the areas of the state that surround Atlanta, therefore, the market that Adams-Briscoe serves continues to change. They are, and have been for quite some time, leaders in providing seed for wildlife habitat, land reclamation, soil conservation, landscaping, as well as agricultural uses.
Adams-Briscoe Seed Company has long been an innovator in the seed industry. This newspaper clipping from 1956 pictures Rufus Adams, B.B. Campbell (Butts County Agent), and J.H. Wallace marking the release of Dixie Crimson Clover, which is still in production today.
