Terry Hadley standing next to an oak tree that was preserved on the farm.

Aunt Zelma’s Blueberries is a locally owned and operated business located on property owned by the Hadley Family in Island Grove, Florida.

The Hadley property in Island Grove has been in the family since the 1800s, originally belonging to the Casons, parts of which have been used in the past for a wide range of agricultural activities, including citrus and cattle.

Property owner and farm co-manager, R.V. “Terry” Hadley III, is the grandson of Dr. Turner Zeigler “T.Z.” Cason and the great-nephew of Zelma Cason. The farm was opened in 2011, with the first harvest was in 2013.

Terry, his wife, Carol Hadley, and business manager Ronnie Thomas operate Aunt Zelma’s Blueberries, LLC.

Though the farm is marketed through SunnyRidge/Dole, a U-Pick season is also part of the operation. For the 2020 season, we are running the entire farm as a You Pick operation, though we still sell flats and clam shell carton containers of pre-picked blueberries.

We have seven varieties of blueberries on the property, including Windsor and Sweet Crisp.