Langley Farms in Alabama: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Langley Farms of Camp Hill, Chambers County, was named Alabama's 2017 Farm of Distinction. Chris and Elizabeth Langley manage 2,650 acres of timber, hay and grazing land with a 320-cow commercial beef herd, and Chris also runs a timber company with three fully mechanized logging crews.
| Location | Camp Hill, Chambers County, Alabama |
|---|---|
| Sectors | Commercial beef cattle; hay; timber and logging |
| Scale | 2,650 acres of timber, hay and grazing land; 320-cow herd; three mechanized logging crews (Farm Progress, 2017) |
| Why it is elite | Alabama's 2017 Farm of Distinction; named Outstanding Young Farm Family in 1996 |
| Related business | Chris Langley Timber and Management Inc. |
| Ownership | Owned and operated by Chris and Elizabeth Langley |
| Official website | Farm Progress report on the 2017 Farm of Distinction |
History of Langley Farms
Chris Langley started farming as a teenager, raising goats, rabbits, chickens and pigs. He used the sales proceeds to buy his first beef heifer and his first logging equipment, and those two purchases became the foundation of the business. This bootstrap path, reinvesting early sales into cattle and equipment, is a useful template for young farmers without inherited land.
The Langleys were recognized as Alabama's Outstanding Young Farm Family in 1996, long before their 2017 Farm of Distinction award. That is two statewide honors across more than two decades, which points to sustained performance rather than a single good year. Today, Chris and Elizabeth Langley manage the combined cattle, hay and timber businesses in Camp Hill.
What Langley Farms Grows and Raises
The land base is 2,650 acres of timber, hay and grazing land. A 320-cow commercial beef herd uses the pasture and hay ground, while timber provides a long-term crop on other acres. East Alabama's rolling Piedmont country suits this mix, because cattle and timber can share a landscape that may not suit intensive row crops.
The logging side is a separate business, Chris Langley Timber and Management Inc., with three fully mechanized logging crews. Mechanized crews harvest more efficiently and safely than hand crews, and operating them gives the farm direct control over when its own timber is cut. It also provides a service business that can work on other landowners' timber.
How Langley Farms Makes Money
Commercial beef
The 320-cow herd supplies calves for sale and relies on the farm's pasture and hay. Cattle provide annual income while timber grows.
Timber and logging
The farm's timber business runs three mechanized logging crews. Harvest income comes in larger, less frequent amounts than cattle sales, and a logging company can also earn from cutting timber for others.
Hay
Hay supports the herd and can be sold when production exceeds the farm's own needs. Winter feed is one of the biggest costs in a cow-calf operation, so growing it matters.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Langley Farms
The first lesson is to pair a fast-cash enterprise with a slow-growing asset. Cattle bring in yearly income, while timber builds value over decades. Landowners with marginal ground can compare the returns of grazing and forestry and consider combining them.
The second lesson is to own the equipment that controls your timeline. By running its own crews, the operation decides when to harvest. The third is the value of starting small and reinvesting: the first heifer and first logging equipment came from the sale of small livestock.
A teenager who sold rabbits and goats to buy a heifer and a logging rig has the kind of origin story that most farm satire can only dream of, and it happens to be true. Between cow checks and chainsaw sharpening, browse farm.FM for farm humor, ranch humor, farm jokes and affectionate farm satire. We hear Chambers County pines are very tall and the cattle are very polite.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
How to Contact Langley Farms
Website: https://www.farmprogress.com/livestock/alabama-s-2017-farm-of-distinction-is-a-beef-timber-operation
No operation phone, address or email is printed in the sources used for this page, so none is listed. The website link points to a published award report, not an official farm site. Confirm any visit or business inquiry through the Alabama Farmers Federation or local county Extension office.
Langley Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Alabama's 2017 Farm of Distinction is a beef-timber operation - Farm Progress award report
- Six Farm of Distinction finalists announced - Alabama Farmers Federation news
- Alabama Extension farm management - Farm business resources from Alabama Extension
- USDA NASS Alabama 2022 Census of Agriculture - State-level farm numbers and sales
- USDA Farmers.gov - Federal programs, loans and conservation help for farmers
Langley Farms FAQ
What is Langley Farms?
A Camp Hill, Alabama, beef cattle, hay and timber operation named Alabama's 2017 Farm of Distinction.
How many cows does Langley Farms run?
Farm Progress reported a 320-cow commercial beef herd.
Does Langley Farms do logging?
Yes. Chris Langley Timber and Management Inc. runs three fully mechanized logging crews.
How can I contact Langley Farms?
No official contact details were found in the sources used here. Try the Chambers County Extension office or the Alabama Farmers Federation.
Langley Farms shows how beef, hay and timber can form one resilient business in east Alabama. Continue to the Alabama farms guide for the state's programs and the other profiled operations.