About Our Farm

1604 Farms is a local family-run Farm that began in 2022 based on a vision from our maternal grandmother, Velma Brunson. Our goal is to provide fresh quality produce, beef, and chicken to the Memphis/Millington area. 
 

1604 Farms, LLC was born from a desire to fulfill the dream of my grandmother Velma. She raised five children in North Memphis on a single income. Living “off the land” as a child in North Mississippi, she yearned for the stability that lifestyle provided. She repeated multiple times to each of us that living together and producing our own food was the way to stability. She believed that what we refer to today as a family compound was the way to move from poverty to prosperity. But more importantly, the bond and support that your family can provide is unparallel.   After our mom passed away, my grandmother also helped to raise me and my sisters at the ages 5, 9 and 14. She was no stranger to hard work and dedication, raising five children after her divorce and maintaining a household by any means necessary. Often food shortages were a reality and she believed that owning land for all of us would improve the state of our family. Her struggle instilled in us a work ethic that prioritized providing stable housing and food supply.

 

After my divorce, I took a period to discover who I was outside of being a wife. I moved to Atlanta for 3 months, did not like it and moved back home to Memphis in 2019. I was home for 5 months before Covid shut the world down. 2020 brought attention to our fragile food supply. The grocery stores limited the amount of food that you could purchase at one time. It separated our families for a period as well. Which made our family draw together to help and provide the support that our grandmother instilled in us. My younger sister and niece moved back home to Memphis. I was unable to travel for work and worked from home. My sisters, uncle, brother-in-law, and nieces were all essential workers. To protect our school age kids my home became the protected location. My niece and nephews lived with me for 6 months to reduce the chance of infection. But God has a way of giving you what you need. I started a patio garden at my rental house. It gave me peace and enjoyment seeing the plants grow a thrive. I had no idea what I was doing but it was fun. When my three years were up from selling my home, it was time to start house shopping. I was looking for 5 acres for me and my plants. But God had another plan, he showed me a 41-acre farm. It had 6 buildings already including the house. The house was in the middle of a complete renovation. But the other buildings needed work, the pastures were nothing to write home about either. But the building blocks were there. I stepped out on faith and purchased more land than I know what to do with. I was afraid then and I am afraid now. But each step of the way, God has provided what I needed. He has made a way out of no way. 

 

So, when it came time to name the farm. My family came together and brainstormed, laughed, brainstormed some more and then had a contest to name the farm. At Thanksgiving of 2021, 2 months after the purchase of the farm, the votes were in, and our youngest uncle won the naming contest: 1604 Farms was born. Named after the street address of our childhood family home. The name represents the passion that we have for our family and the love that was poured into us at that address. Our grandmother is honored every time that name is spoken. Every time we speak about the family home and the fun, struggles, and love it puts a smile to our faces. 1604 Farms is the culmination of a dream. A dream of a mother, friend, companion, and dominating woman that walks with me every day. The name is plural because we intend to have more than one farm. The actual site of our family home will be our second location it will be developed into a community garden and a market which would provide consistent produce for our neighbors. With God’s grace and mercy, we will be able to serve the North Memphis community and beyond.

 

Immersing ourselves into farm life has been both exciting and overwhelming at times, but significant successes keep us going and growing. Currently there are two pastures of row crops. The 2022 & 2023 seasons produced soybeans on twenty acres and fourteen acres house ten head of cattle and two horses in 2022/ three horses and seven head of cattle in 2023. Fruit and vegetable production started with a test garden to learn about the land drainage, soil, and predators and develop long term solutions. The 2023 season produce included tomatoes, cucumbers, red kidney beans, white beans, mustard greens, turnip greens, collard greens, swish chard, spinach, and Brussel sprouts. We are testing recipes for pickles, growing new to us heirlooms tomatoes, and inviting the community to our farm.

 

The future of 1604 farms hold more community events, more vegetables, and an orchard of a variety of trees, chickens, and so much more. My grandmother gave us the basics and we are responsible for the rest. We have attended New Farmer Academy, Hoophouse Workshop, Pick TN Conference, Mid-South Agriculture Finance Conference, Micro-greens workshop, Master Farm Manager Training, and TSU Small Farm Expo. The farming community has been welcoming to us and we feel like everyone wants everyone else to do well. We have come along way during these two years; however, we have a long way to go to make a profitable and supportive farm. We hope that our farm becomes a place that the community feels loved and knows that we are here to provide healthy food to support you and your family.