US: Strawberry Hill In the South, tradition and family mean a lot, ...

Tag : peach

Strawberry Hill
By Dick Lehnert
Managing Editor
October 2008 FGN
In the South, tradition and family mean a lot, and sometimes newventures can be disruptive  especially if theyre successful.

Thats the way it is at Strawberry Hill USA, in Chesnee, S. C. Thisold peach farm now has a strawberry name.

In 1995, the story goes, James Cooley was looking for anothersource of income after several bad years in peaches. His answer wasto plant six acres of strawberries. Production was extremelysuccessful. His daughter, Brandi Cooley-Easler, remembers thefamily conversation between her dad and mother, Kathi, as shewondered what ever they would do with all those strawberries.

So the next step was: Make a television commercial. Needless tosay, it worked. Today, with nearly 80 acres of strawberries, itsthe largest strawberry operation in South Carolina.

With 800 acres of peaches, Strawberry Hill is a mighty big peachfarm to have a strawberry name. But the name Strawberry Hill USA isprobably better known than Cooley Brothers Peach Farm, the name itcarried when James father Frank and Uncle Ansel owned it, or thename James E. Cooley Farms, which they use for the peach operationJames owns and operates.

Strawberry Hill has surpassed every expectation, Brandi said,and it has enhanced the peach business.

James always claimed that being the last male with the Cooley namedidnt bother him. With four daughters, where there are girls,there will be boys, he said. And there are. But neither of his twosons-in-law is involved in the fruit business, which James operateswith commanding authority. At age 48, he has plenty of energy andhe has his hands on everything, Brandi said.

Two daughters seem destined to represent the next generation in thefamily business. Brandi is the oldest  a graduate of Clemson inmarketing and Bethani is the youngest  a new freshman at Clemsonmajoring in agricultural economics. The two middle sisters, Brookeand Brittani, have other careers. A grandson, Jameson CooleyDearybury, is a year old. Brandi is expecting her second childearly in the new year.

Brandi is vice president of marketing and James is companypresident. Mom runs the caf