Strawberry Hill USA in South Carolina: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Strawberry Hill USA, the Cooley family farm in Chesnee, South Carolina, grows peaches on 815 acres and strawberries on 110 acres within a 1,188-acre operation, according to Farm Progress. James Cooley was named South Carolina's Sunbelt Farmer of the Year, and the farm pairs wholesale fruit with retail stands, a cafe and fall agritourism.
| Location | Chesnee, Spartanburg County, South Carolina |
|---|---|
| Founded | Started nearly a century ago by James Cooley's grandfather to grow cotton (Farm Progress, 2013) |
| Sectors | Peaches; strawberries; blackberries; Asian pears; agritourism; retail and wholesale |
| Scale | 1,188 acres (781 owned, 407 rented), including 815 acres of peaches and 110 of strawberries (Farm Progress) |
| Why it is elite | James Cooley named Sunbelt Farmer of the Year for South Carolina |
| Ownership | Cooley family; other family members run marketing, the cafe and related businesses |
| Official website | Strawberry Hill USA website (listed by the SC Department of Agriculture) |
History of Strawberry Hill USA
Farm Progress reports that Strawberry Hill USA was started nearly 100 years before its 2013 profile by James Cooley's grandfather, who grew cotton. James's father returned from World War II and began raising peaches. James has farmed for 34 years and expanded the operation into a family farm with agricultural tourism. The state's agritourism listing says the Cooley family has farmed on the site since 1946.
Cooley was recognized as South Carolina's Sunbelt Farmer of the Year, the state honor that sends a winner to the Southeastern competition at the Sunbelt Ag Expo. Other family members now handle marketing, the cafe and other businesses, so the farm functions as a family enterprise rather than a single grower with a roadside stand.
What Strawberry Hill USA Grows and Raises
Peaches are the largest enterprise, on 815 acres, and are sold in half-bushel handle baskets. Strawberries cover 110 acres, with fall strawberries grown under high tunnels. The farm also grows 43 acres of blackberries and 5.7 acres of Asian pears, and it double-crops wheat and soybeans during orchard renewal. Of its 1,188 acres, 781 are owned and 407 are rented.
Sales move through two retail stands, in northern Spartanburg County and near Gaffney off I-85, and through wholesale channels using refrigerated trucks. In fall, a 10-acre corn maze and a 20-acre pumpkin patch draw visitors, and the family runs tours for schools, churches and nursing homes. The Strawberry Hill USA Cafe adds another way to sell the farm's fruit.
How Strawberry Hill USA Makes Money
Wholesale and retail fruit
Peaches, strawberries and blackberries are sold through the farm's own stands and through wholesale accounts served by refrigerated trucks. Having both channels lets the farm place fruit where prices and demand are best.
Agritourism
The corn maze, pumpkin patch and tours bring families to the farm during seasons when fruit sales slow. Visitors also buy at the stands and cafe, which ties tourism income to produce sales.
Cafe and rotation crops
The family-run cafe turns farm fruit into prepared food and keeps visitors on site longer. During orchard renewal, wheat and soybeans keep the ground earning.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Strawberry Hill USA
The first lesson is to extend the season. High-tunnel fall strawberries and a fall corn maze give the farm income when peach harvest is over. The second lesson is to build retail close to a highway: stands near I-85 put the farm in front of travelers as well as local customers.
Finally, the farm assigns family members to marketing, the cafe and tours rather than asking one person to do everything. Orchard renewal with double-cropped grain also shows how to plan cash flow while trees are replaced.
Few farms can claim both a 10-acre corn maze and the patience to get lost in it with a car full of kindergartners. If you enjoy farm satire that gets you hopelessly, happily lost in the same way, farm.FM offers farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes that never poke at the growers feeding I-85. We hope every peach in Chesnee ripens exactly on schedule, and that nobody has to ask the corn maze for directions.
farm.FM, the nation's first satirical farm site, also runs Tractor Tunes, a country music lineup for farmers. For a sample of the writing, try the archive of one of its staff humorists.
How to Contact Strawberry Hill USA
Website: https://www.strawberryhillusa.com
The website is the one listed in the South Carolina Department of Agriculture agritourism listing; visit it for stand hours, cafe hours and fall events, which vary by season. Confirm before traveling, November 2026.
Strawberry Hill USA Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Strawberry Hill USA website - The farm's site with seasons, cafe and fall activities
- Farm Progress: Sunbelt Farmer of the Year - Profile of James Cooley and the farm's acreage and enterprises
- South Carolina Department of Agriculture listing - State agritourism listing for the farm
- Upcountry SC tourism page - Regional tourism information for the farm
- USDA NASS South Carolina profile - 2022 Census of Agriculture figures for South Carolina fruit and vegetable farms
Strawberry Hill USA FAQ
Where is Strawberry Hill USA?
Strawberry Hill USA is at 3097 South Carolina Highway 11 in Chesnee, South Carolina, according to the state agritourism listing, with a second stand near Gaffney.
How big is the farm?
Farm Progress reports 1,188 acres, of which 781 are owned and 407 rented, with 815 acres of peaches and 110 acres of strawberries.
What can visitors do?
The farm offers retail stands, a cafe, tours and, in fall, a 10-acre corn maze and pumpkin patch.
Who runs the farm?
The Cooley family, with James Cooley as the Sunbelt Farmer of the Year honoree and other relatives running marketing and the cafe.
Strawberry Hill USA shows how a Spartanburg County cotton farm became a peach, berry and agritourism business that serves both wholesale buyers and families. For more award winners, see the South Carolina farms guide and the other profiles in this directory.