Ben & LaDonna Sanders

June 2025 Issue

by Edwina Hoyle
Photography by Lindsay Gifford

Turning into Okatee River Farms, one drives through wide-open, beautiful wrought iron gates. They seem to welcome you to another world, where there is a sudden shift, both in the landscape and attitude. The hectic traffic is still close by, but it’s as if it evaporates once you pass through the gates. It feels like you can let your guard down, relax, and breathe. A dirt road leads you to the farm, but the first thing you notice is a magnificent, huge, oak tree that is probably 250-300 years old. Its beauty is captivating, and the Sanders family chose to use its image in their logo.

Ben and LaDonna Sanders are the fifth generation of the Sanders family to work the land, first at the family farm in Florence, SC, and now in Okatie. Ben and LaDonna hope their four sons – Adam, Noah, Matthew, and Zachary – will become the sixth generation to follow suit. These young men all help with the farming, but they are also steel workers, following in Ben’s footsteps. Noah, 21, said he’d like to have a career in sales. Ben said they are all young and anxious to get out into the world, but they’ll probably miss the farm, and when they get older want to come back and take over.

Ben’s father, Wilson Sanders, still owns the land, but due to cerebral palsy, he has never worked the land himself. He attended Duke University, earned his master’s degree in business at USC, and spent his career teaching. Wilson’s great grandfather moved to the United States from Warburg, Germany, around 1820, originally settling in New York. He eventually found himself moving to the South Carolina Lowcountry in the mid-1800s, when he purchased the riverfront land in Okatie and began farming.

In 2010, Ben and LaDonna took up farming their own land up near Florence, planting soybeans, sorghum, and corn, even though Ben continued working his full-time job in the steel industry. However, in 2016 when Hurricane Matthew hit South Carolina, it demolished their crops, causing a total loss. So, in 2018, the family decided to move to the Lowcountry and re-establish Okatee River Farms on the 49 acres of pristine family land that Ben’s great, great grandfather had farmed 156 years earlier.

Still family-operated, Okatie River Farms grows a diverse selection of fruits, vegetables, and vibrant microgreens. They believe in the importance of quality, sustainability, and connection to the land. 

LaDonna explained that microgreens have four times the nutrient value than the fruit the plant produces. In other words, beet microgreens are more nutrient-rich than the actual beet. Alec Barton is a specialist in growing microgreens from seeds. LaDonna said, “Alec knew the whole process when we hired him, and he is amazing.” Roughly 300 trays of microgreens are planted each week. Restaurants use them for garnishes, salads, and sandwiches. Okatie River Farms’ variety is extensive: radish, leek, cilantro, wasabi, cabbage, sunflower, red vein sorrel, celery, arugula, and cantaloupe.

LaDonna is excited about their new growing stand where customers can purchase edible flowers in addition to all the other produce. “People don’t realize that many flowers like marigolds and nasturtium are edible,” she said. They can be used as a garnish or in a salad. Other edible flowers are pansies, lavender, and dandelions.

LaDonna grew up on a farm. “My Daddy farmed tobacco and eventually corn,” she shared. “I loved it. We stayed barefoot and dirty. I had lots of adventures with my cousins. We caught tadpoles, swam in ponds, and made so many precious memories. I’d tell my mother, ‘I’m done with my homework, so I’m goin’ fishin’.’ Or I’d go riding on our horse. Growing up on a farm, I’m naturally more in tune with nature. Living off the land is a piece of paradise not everybody can experience. It is definitely treasured,” LaDonna continued. “People love to come here. They stand at the fence and watch the chickens for a long time and take pictures. I love to give kids something to throw in the coop to feed the chickens while their parents shop. Or I send them over to watch the goats.”

There are three Nubian goats that “talk” to visitors with friendly bleats like “maa” and “baa.” LaDonna said they’re her pets, but Ben calls them “ornaments” because they’re just there to admire. There is also one large pig called Big Booty Judy. And white bee boxes are lined up and produce the farm’s honey.

LaDonna loves to relax in nature. “My only obligation is the plants. If they’re wilted, give them water. I don’t know what we’d do with neighbors. We are a loud family.”

Nathan said his favorite part of living on a farm is making his friends a little jealous. “I don’t like working the farm, but living it? I do!”

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Up Close:

• Around 1920, Ben’s great grandmother began growing tomatoes and canning them at the cannery in Pritchardville. This was the family’s primary source of income.

• Riverbend, the neighborhood off Hwy. 170, used to be a part of the Sanders’ family land. It was mostly forest and was used for turpentining.

• LaDonna delivers produce to several area restaurants, including some in Savannah.

• Okatee River Farms is open to the public on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Their address is 1919 Okatie Hwy. in Okatie. For additional information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..