Strawberry Hill USA

What Strawberry Hill USA does

Strawberry Hill USA is a family-owned and operated diversified agricultural business headquartered in Chesnee, South Carolina, founded by the Cooley family in 1946. The company operates the largest strawberry farm in South Carolina at 115 acres and grows peaches across close to 1,000 acres alongside smaller-acreage blackberries (added 2007) and seasonal vegetables (summer squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, beans). It sells fresh produce through two year-round physical retail locations — The Shed at Cooley Farms in Chesnee and the Gaffney Roadside Market located off I-85 — and through wholesale channels to retailers.

The business has vertically integrated beyond commodity produce into foodservice and agritourism. Since 2001 it has operated the Strawberry Hill U.S.A. Café and Ice-cream Parlor on the main farm, offering southern breakfast, lunch, and homemade ice cream made with farm-grown fruit. Seasonal agritourism includes a 15th-annual 10-acre corn maze, hayrides, farm animals, a pumpkin patch, and event venue rentals (barn at $200, picnic tables at $15/table/hour) running late September through early November. Educational school field trips ($15/participant, minimum 20 paying participants) and birthday party bookings add programmatic B2C and B2B revenue.

The company runs entirely on a direct-to-consumer and event-driven go-to-market motion, with marketing concentrated on its website, Instagram presence, email newsletter, and community engagement. Pricing across all streams is unit-based and transactional (pay-as-you-go). The company is privately held, bootstrapped, and family-operated by James E. Cooley and Kathi Cooley with the next generation (8 grandchildren) positioned to continue the operation. It holds GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) food safety certification, and James Cooley was named the 2013 SC state winner of the Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year.

Name

Strawberry Hill USA

Legal name

Strawberry Hill USA

Website

https://strawberryhillusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Strawberry Hill USA is a family-owned South Carolina farm operating the state's largest strawberry farm (115 acres) and ~1,000 acres of peaches, selling fresh produce through two year-round retail markets, a cafe and ice cream parlor, wholesale channels, and seasonal agritourism (corn maze, field trips, events).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agritourism Farm

NAICS

Strawberry Farming (111333), Berry (except Strawberry) Farming (111334)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries) (AFAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Farmstay B&Bs & Agritourism Inns (THAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Fresh fruit farming
• Agritourism activities
• Farm cafe dining
• Seasonal produce sales
• School field trips

Headquarters

HQ city

Chesnee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fresh Produce Retail: Direct retail sales of strawberries, peaches, blackberries, and seasonal vegetables (squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, beans) at farm markets and roadside stands. Also offers wholesale produce to retailers.
2. Cafe and Ice Cream Parlor: On-site restaurant serving southern breakfast and lunch, plus homemade ice cream with farm-grown fruit. Cafe open year-round, ice cream available daily.
3. Agritourism Activities: Fall season attractions including corn maze ($10/adult, $8/child), hayrides, farm animals, pumpkin patch, and birthday party/event venue rentals.
4. School Field Trips: Educational field trips for school groups with hayride farm tours, animal interactions, and activities. Priced at $15 per child/chaperone with minimum 20 participants.
5. Event Venue Rental: Private barn and picnic table rentals for birthday parties and events. Barn rental $200, picnic tables $15/table/hour, $50 booking deposit required.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Strawberry Hill USA is a family-owned and operated farm that grows and sells fresh strawberries, peaches, blackberries, and seasonal vegetables. The farm operates an on-site cafe and ice cream parlor serving southern breakfast, lunch, and homemade ice cream using farm-grown fruit. It also runs seasonal agritourism activities including a 10-acre corn maze, hayrides, a pumpkin patch, school field trips, and private event/barn rentals.

Product overview

Strawberry Hill USA is a family-owned and operated diversified agricultural farm founded in 1946, offering a portfolio of products and services across multiple categories. The operation consists of retail locations (Gaffney Roadside Market and The Shed at Cooley Farms), a year-round Cafe & Ice Cream Parlor serving homemade ice cream since 2004, seasonal produce (strawberries on 62 acres, peaches on 700-800 acres, blackberries on 5 acres), and agri-tourism experiences (fall corn maze, hayrides, farm playground, pumpkin patch). Educational offerings include school field trips, while event services include barn rental and picnic table rental for birthday parties. As of 2021, the farm is the largest strawberry producer in South Carolina with 115 total acres in production (62 strawberry, remainder peach and other crops).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gaffney Roadside Market Year-round open roadside market selling fresh farm produce including strawberries, peaches, and seasonal items; located off I-85 beside the Prime Outlet Mall in Gaffney, SC.
• The Shed at Cooley Farms Farm shed and market location on Highway 11 West in Chesnee, SC, offering fresh produce and farm products; open year-round.
• The Cafe and Ice Cream Parlor Year-round restaurant serving southern breakfast and lunch, featuring fresh-made biscuits, hand-patted burgers, and homemade ice cream made with farm fruits. Open Mon-Sat 6am-2:30pm, ice cream available daily 11am-8pm.
• Strawberries Seasonal fresh strawberries from early April through early June; grown on 115 acres (largest strawberry producer in South Carolina as of 2021). All berries are pre-picked (U-pick not offered).
• Peaches Peach farming operation spanning 700-1,000 acres with nearly 30 varieties, producing clingstone peaches (late May-June) and freestones (July-early September). The primary crop and 74+ year family tradition.
• Blackberries

Quantifiable outcome

• South Carolina state winner of 2013 Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year award

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Titan Farms: Largest peach grower in South Carolina based in Ridge Spring, with vertically integrated peach production, packing facility, and wholesale/retail distribution. Most direct SC peer for the peach production operation, though more wholesale-oriented than Strawberry Hill.
• Grandad's Apples N' Such: Family-owned apple farm in Hendersonville, NC with bakery/donuts, farm market, and fall agritourism including corn maze and pumpkin patch. Comparable diversified family fruit farm with bakery and seasonal agritourism in the Carolinas.
• J.W. Yonce & Sons: Multi-generational family peach farm in Johnston, SC operating a roadside farm market. Closest geographic and operational peer for the SC peach + farm market model.
• Hillcrest Orchards: Family-owned apple orchard in Ellijay, GA with farm market, bakery, and extensive agritourism programming including u-pick, cow train, and seasonal events. Highly comparable model of diversified fruit farm + agritourism in the Southeast.
• Millstone Creek Orchards: Family farm in Ramseur, NC offering u-pick peaches, apples, and berries plus farm market, bakery, and event venue rentals. Closest comparable NC peer for diversified fruit farm with agritourism and event rental revenue streams.
• Windy Hill Orchard & Cider Mill: Family-owned apple orchard and hard cider producer in Hendersonville, NC with farm market, bakery, and fall agritourism. Comparable diversified family fruit farm with on-site foodservice and seasonal events in the Carolina mountain region.
• Sky Top Orchard: Family-run apple orchard in Flat Rock, NC with farm market, bakery, cider, and extensive agritourism (u-pick, hayrides, barnyard animals). Comparable Southeast mountain-region family farm with integrated retail + agritourism model.
• Lane Southern Orchards: Large peach farm in Fort Valley, GA (Peach State) with farm market, café, gift shop, and seasonal agritourism. Comparable multi-decade family operation with integrated retail, foodservice, and produce sales in the Southeast.
• Mercier Orchards: Family-owned diversified fruit farm in Blue Ridge, GA offering u-pick strawberries, blueberries, apples, a farm market, bakery/café, hard cidery, and seasonal agritourism events. Highly comparable multi-stream farm-direct-to-consumer model with similar heritage positioning and agritourism + foodservice integration.
• Burt's Farm: Family-owned pumpkin farm in Dawsonville, GA famous for its pumpkin patch, farm market, and fall agritourism. Directly comparable seasonal agritourism and direct-retail farm model in the Southeast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/strawberryhillusa/?hl=en
• Xx.com/cooleyfarms
• Facebookfacebook.com/strawberryhillusa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strawberry-hill-usa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Strawberry Hill USA