Our story
6 Generations of Farming in Mississippi
Our Story: 6 Generations of Farming, Family, and Faith in Mississippi
“Then he moved away from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it; so he named it Rehoboth, for he said, ‘At last the Lord has made room for us, and we will be fruitful in the land.”
Riley Family Farms is a 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generation regenerative farm and food business based in Marshall and Desoto County, Mississippi. We are committed to regenerative farming methods, being the best stewards we can of God's world, and seeking to best preserve our farm for coming generations; to providing healthy, nutrient dense foods; and to being part of rebuilding a local food economy to restore rural communities in the Mid South, and increase food security in the Memphis area and beyond.
The Long Road Back to Where We Started
Les Riley's maternal grandfather, Cliff Ferguson, was born on a dairy farm at Raines and Millbranch Roads, in what is now the Whitehaven community within the Memphis city limits. Back the, they didn't have widely available synthetic fertilizers or auto steer 300 horsepower tractors, and antibiotics for livestock were still almost a half a century in the future. In our grandfathers time, putting the natural fertilizer produced by livestock–manur–back in the soil and practicing natural farming methods was the norm. Great Grandfather Jimmy Ferguson delivered farm fresh milk to the heart of Memphis by wagon, before relocating to the Jaybird community east of Hernando, Mississippi.
Meanwhile, Les' paternal grandfather, JN Riley, Jr. farmed crops and livestock, cut timber, hauled ice, ran a country store, and helped establish Trinity Baptist Church in and around Eudora, Ms. Paul L. Riley, Sr. started farming full time in 1961. Last fall, he harvested his 63rd crop on Cub Lake Farms.
Les and Christy Riley were married in May, 1986. Today Les and Christy have been blessed with almost 38 years of marriage. Along the way, they became born again Christians, and were blessed to give birth to nine children - and adopt three more! Our values are rooted in our god given duties as Christians, and our family is the heart of our farm and business, with everyone contributing in ways both large and small to our mission to build a better Mid South.
In addition to raising grain and cattle, pigs, and bird dogs, Rileys have raised and sold peas, watermelons and other vegetables on the Hernando Square since the 1970s. To support his ever growing family, Les has worked in the grocery industry, sales, and running a non profit medical ministry, but his heart and vision for farming and local food has never wavered. We were so grateful to be among the first vendors to return when the Hernando Farmers Market reopened on the Hernando Square in 2008, selling sweet corn and other vegetables grown in Eudora.
In the late 80s, as an agriculture major at Northwest Mississippi Community College, Les became interested in what was then known as "Sustainable Farming" and organic gardening. In the mid 90s, Les and Christy lived and worked on a rotationally grazed, grass-finished beef farm and became convinced of the importance of naturally building strong soil for environmental, animal, and human health–what is now known as regenerative farming.
“Do not despise this small beginning, for the eyes of the Lord rejoice to see the work begin.”
In 2021, Riley Family Farms started construction of a full service poultry processing abattoir on our family's 50 acre Homestead near Holly Springs, with a vision for building a better Mid South–one chicken at a time. From a few chicken tractors thrown together from scrap parts in our yard to providing hundreds of Mid South families with over 6,000 of pasture-raised chickens in 2023, we are humbled and grateful for the response we’ve received from our friends, neighbors, and customers, new and old.
In 2024, we are excited to raise pastured chickens this year on the land in Eudora that our family has been farming since the 1980s. Here, every chicken will come straight from our brooder in Holly Springs to live on pasture for five weeks, afforded the rich bounty of forage Mississippi provides–all while being kept free of GMOs, antibiotics, and all harmful additives, until they return to our abattoir to be hand processed, and finally delivered frozen and vacuum sealed to our customers in Misssissippi and Memphis.
We invite you to join in our vision to rebuild a resilient local food economy, to restore the small scale family farm, to provide more nutritious food for our community, and to help us build a better Mid South, one chicken at a time.
“I dislike the thought that some animal has been made miserable to feed me. If I am going to eat meat, I want it to be from an animal that has lived a pleasant, uncrowded life outdoors, on bountiful pasture, with good water nearby and trees for shade.”
Les Riley
les@rileyfamilyfarms.com
Ben Riley
ben@rileyfamilyfarms.com
Caleb Frederick
caleb@rileyfamilyfarms.com
Ellen Frederick
ellen@rileyfamilyfarms.com