ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - As a six-year-old Dougherty County student, Clinton Vicks rode down Stagecoach Road in Putney as part of his daily bus route.

“I would come down this road and see, to me as a six-year-old, a huge home in this huge yard. And I would say, if I live in Albany, that’s the house I wanted to live in,” Clinton recalled.

Clinton stayed in Dougherty County after high school graduation, attending Albany State University on a Presidential Scholarship as a Speech and Theater major. He was part of several “Theatre Albany” productions.

Then, the big city called. He transferred to Howard University in Washington, DC, and moved to New York City just a month after graduation. He was part of the Juilliard Choral Union and performed as part of Neil Goldberg’s original cast of “Christmas Dreams.”

Clinton toured around the United States and the world as a performer. Little did he know that one day, he would return to the property he once longed for in Putney, creating the Vicks Estate, Farm, and Fishery.

“I know that me getting the house and the work I did on it was all divinely led. I had been living in New York and D.C. for 18 years, so I was really metropolitan,” Clinton explained.

Clinton grew up in a pecan orchard as a fifth-generation farmer. His fourth great-grandmother was even listed as a farmer in the 1831 Census.

“This wasn’t a career path I ever thought of being on. I was raised by grandparents who farmed the land, so I had done it as a child,” Clinton recalled.

He remembers picking up pecans, weighing them, loading them up, and taking them off to sell as a child. Now, he wants to be directly in control of his agricultural products.

“Having started the Vicks Estate, Farm, and Fishery put a business to something that we have been doing for a long time. There are generational farmers, especially in the black community, that don’t realize that they are business owners, and so they haven’t been trained to properly run their farm as a business,” Clinton said.

Clinton is willing to share his knowledge and research with other farmers, leading seminars at colleges and event spaces across the South. He also partners with national and international non-profits to bring the “AgriTech and AI Innovation Expo” to South Georgia.

“At the rear of my property is an old fishing pond that we’re currently restoring, and we want to include aquaponics and teach local farmers how to use that as a growing source as well,” Clinton explained.

He also partnered with Shirley Sherrod to champion the “Black Agritourism Trail” sponsored by Airbnb. Sherrod is the “New Communities Land Trust” co-founder and USDA Equity Commissioner.

“That allowed individuals from around the country to come and stay or visit farms and learn about the history of black farmers in this country,” Clinton said.

According to Airbnb, “The New Communities is headquartered at Resora, a former plantation near Albany that was originally owned by one of the largest slaveholder estates in Georgia and now represents and promotes racial reconciliation and healing.”

As part of the room and board package at the Vicks Estate, Clinton and his mother prepare meals and treats for guests using produce and herbs grown on the property. They source other goods from local farmers. Every meal is handmade with love and farm-fresh ingredients. The shrimp and grits rival that of any soul food restaurant, and nothing is prepared the easy way. Clinton gave away his microwave years ago, and even presses his own locally sourced coffee. You can taste the difference.

“I kind of feel obligated to my ancestors to let them see what is the manifestation of their dream. And this is it, owning my own land, owning the food that I produce, making a living off of it, teaching others so that they’re inspired to know that in spite of the current struggles that you see, and impediments that you know exist, if they could do it, you can do it,” Clinton concluded.

Clinton says that although he’s no longer an educator at a school system, 70 to 80-percent of his former students in Dougherty County tested as “compatible” with farming or agricultural professions. He feels an obligation to show the next generation what farming can do for their futures, especially through the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program at land-grant institutions.

Through the Vicks Estate, Clinton has also helped farmers in Mitchell and Lee counties secure over $80,000 for their operations through grants.

Have a news tip or see an error that needs correction? Let us know. Please include the article’s headline in your message.

To stay up to date on all the latest news as it develops, follow WALB on Facebook and X (Twitter). For more South Georgia news, download the WALB News app from the Apple Store or Google Play.

Copyright 2026 WALB. All rights reserved.