Humble Beginnings
Berrybrook Enterprises was founded in 1953 by husband and wife, Joe and Harriett Hassle. Joe’s desire to become a farmer stemmed from the time spent at his grandfather’s farm in the 1940s. Shortly before Joe and Harriet married, Joe’s parents mortgaged their home to help purchase his first 80-acre farm located just outside of Dowagiac, Michigan. It wasn’t until later when Joe and Harriett were picking strawberries near a creek when the name “Berrybrook” came to fruition. In the 1990s, their three sons, Joe Jr., John and Scott officially joined the family farm and carried on Berrybrook’s culture of innovation.
After decades of hard work and dedication, Berrybrook Enterprises is now recognized as one of the most innovative agricultural producers in Michigan.
The Importance of Family
In 1975, MICHIGAN FARMER Magazine published an interview with Joe Sr & Harriett regarding their family and farming operation. They both shared how much they depended on all 8 of their kids to contribute towards the farm's success. In Harriett's words, "To be a success in a business like this you have to give your life to it all hours of the day and night. You must do the work when it needs to be done." Not only did Joe Sr and Harriett give their life to the farm, all 8 of their children did too.
Left page, top: Harriett checking melon planting progress with Scott, age 3
Left page, bottom: Harriett in bean field with Joe Jr, age 12, and Sandy, age 5
Right page, left: Ruth transplanting melon plants, age 19
Right page, right: Twins Mary and Lory, age 16, cooking dinner for the family
Harriett Hassle: A Pioneer for Women in Agriculture
In 1987, Harriett Hassle was elected by her piers to represent Pro-Fac growers as a Pro-Fac board member. This cooperative owned food processing facilities throughout the U.S. and marketed finished food products that were grown by its members.
Harriett never let gender roles influence her ability to contribute towards Berrybrook’s success. We believe her resilience, leadership and business planning pushed us to where we stand today. In one of her son's words, Harriett was "the engineer that kept the train on the tracks, we would have never made it without her."
Creating a Culture of Innovation
Joe and Harriett purchased a shock-wave trunk shaker in 1969, one of the first of its kind. Used for Berrybrook’s tart cherries, this equipment was capable of picking 25 tons per day with minimal damage to the trees. Their forward thinking and ingenuity molded Berrybrook’s value of implementing up-to-date strategies.
Top photo: Joe Hassle standing beside the shock-wave trunk shaker
Bottom photo: Joe & Harriett Hassle utilizing their tart cherry cooling system