About Our Farm

Berry Hill Farm is a family farm started by myself (Sandy Fleenor), my husband (Will Fleenor), and our children in 1983.  Our small farm (32 acres) is highly diversified.  In addition to our farm-to-table vegetable operation we operate a licensed dairy, licensed creamery, have 2 acres of blueberries, raise figs, blackberries, mayhaw trees, pecan trees, have a small herd of grass fed antibiotic free beef, and have Chickens and bees.  This diversity provides great sustainability.  If one segment does poorly (ex. extreme drought of 2023) the others hold up the ship. 

Our farmstead creamery (i.e., cheese made on the farm where the milk comes from) makes aged cheddar cheese, yogurt, feta, quark, and other dairy products.  The freshness and quality of our milk differentiates our products from industrial dairy products.  We milk only Jersey and Brown Swiss cows which give better quality milk for cheese making.  

When we started seeing our farm as a business, we sold primarily through the local farmers’ markets.   The local farmers’ market is still a good channel for our products, and we are fortunate and grateful to have hundreds of loyal customers.  However, we have expanded our distribution to include wholesalers, retailers, restaurants, and directly to the public on the farm. We are excited to say that our cheese is carried by the two largest cheese retailers in south Louisiana (St James Cheese Company in New Orleans and Acquistapace in Covington).  

Our son Jessee Fleenor and his family live on the farm in the original farmhouse built in 1955. Jessee works full time on the farm and manages the farm-to-table vegetable operation.  Vegetables are not his only farming chores. He is a partner in all other aspects of our farm. Our 76 year old dairy barn (see picture below) sits directly behind Jessee’s home.

We are motivated by the desire to provide fresh, healthy, locally grown, high quality food products.  We are also all about having people understand where their food comes from and why it matters.  We have spring and fall open farm days for our customers.  We also do farm trips for grade schools. 

Finally, we are driven to preserve a way of life that is quickly fading away – the family farm.  Farm families are different in several ways from many families.  The children get up before school and do their chores.  They eat their meals together almost all the time.  Children are expected to work on the farm, and it never occurs to them to ask for pay.  The whole family works hard as a team for the good of the farm – something that is much more than just buildings, equipment, and land.  Even if the children don’t grow up to be farmers, many will have an exceptional work ethic and strong family values.

At one time there were more than 1,200 dairy farms just in Tangipahoa parish, Louisiana.  It was known as the dairy parish and was the primary milk supplier for New Orleans. Now there are less than 50 in the entire state of Louisiana.  We are not only losing an industry; we are losing a lifestyle and a culture that is warm and comfortable.  We hope to preserve that culture for others to see and experience through visits and through our products.