 Meet The Berry Bunch |
Robert "Walker" Miller is the master mind behind our operation. He has a PhD in Plant Pathology and Plant Physiology and is a retired Extension Specialist for Clemson University. He is available for limited consulting on plant health management, especially for Horticultural crops. He is the past president and current member of the Board of Director for the Friends of Lake Keowee, a member for the Board of Directors for Pickens County Taxpayers Association, President of the Board for The Happy Berry Inc. and does occasional contract work for Clemson University. That is when he isn't in the field managing the berry business and cooking up new schemes for growth and improvement. The Happy Berry is the achievement of Walker's life long dream to be an independent businessman in the production of agriculture, especially fruit crops. He feels that our nation's food security depends on fellow farm businesses like ours and that we provide an essential environmental service for the future of our planet. |
 Left to right: Zoe, Betty Ann, Ann Merion "Zoe" Miller Zoe being Greek for “life”, believes that if you stop dreaming you stop living. In addition to her job as market specialist for The Happy Berry, she works at Keowee Key Country Club as a server, as a bartender, in the kitchen, and as a field manager. She sees potential to someday tie her restaurant experience into a possible new venture for the farm, but as a secondary goal to preserving The Happy Berry as a working farm. Her focus is to make sure that we can share the farm experience with present and future generations who would not otherwise be able to experience a working farm. Zoe has grown up on the farm. She loves working with our guests and being in the fields, feeling that being in the field is a great way to feel close to God. In what little free time she has, she practices her art and goes to school during the winter at tri-county. Like her father, she pursues learning as much as possible for self improvement and for the farm’s benefit. Betty Ann Miller is the oldest daughter, and goes by both names (Betty-Ann) in true southern-style. She is the "web girl" - managing the updates and changes to the website - and also member of the Happy Berry Board of Directors. While she didn't inherit her father's green thumb, she is an equally enthusiastic outdoor adventurer. She has his passion for computers and technology and her mother's head for the business side of things. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Delaware and is the former manager of the Nantahala Outdoor Center's Guest Relations Department. She loves the outdoors and lives in western North Carolina where she can bike, hike and paddle all the time. Charlotte "Ann" [See] Miller is the gorgeous member of the Happy Berry Team that is the glue that holds it together. She is owner, member of the Board of Directors, Treasurer and voice of reason in the Happy Berry Bunch. She is also the fill-in-anywhere person and the support staff. In addition to working at the farm, she works full-time at Clemson University as an incubation and hatchery specialist for all poultry types. And in between all that, she keeps us fed, clothed, and even manages to bake blueberry pies for dessert! She is past president of the local and regional women's club. Ann was an "Army Brat" so has a slight accent that you can't quite figure out --- that is the result of living in a bunch a places around the world. She and her husband Walker started the Happy Berry in 1979. We were still planting the fields while she was pregnant with her second daughter born in 1982. |
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Ed Hannah was born in Richmond West Virginia. He grew up in Webster springs West Virginia on 165 acre one horse farm. They grew corn for feed and general vegetables as a cash crop. He also worked in the local steel mill while growing up. In 1954 he joined the Navy to see the world. He has many stories he relate about his years in the Navy and the low country of South Carolina. In 1974 he retired to Beaufort SC where he worked as a grocer, pest control specialist and in the Hardware business. He married the former Bobbie Leslie from liberty SC and has 3 children, 2 girls and boy and now has 5 grandchildren. He says it is a pure joy to work at the Happy Berry. |
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 Woody Crenshaw was born and raised in Oconee County, South Carolina. He graduated from Walhalla High School before traveling all the way to the University of South Carolina to see the world. Unfortunately, it was not far enough so he studied archaeology for a year in Malta and traveled throughout Europe and Northern Africa before graduating with degrees in Anthropology and Art History. After graduating he returned to the Oconee county, homesick, then decided to go see Costa Rica for two months and teach English. He is currently a server at the Keowee Key Country Club as well as "Jack of all trades" at The Happy Berry. He is getting the bug to travel again so he is looking to join the Peace Corps. We hope his experience at The Happy Berry will give him a feel for Agriculture that he can apply in his Peace Corps adventure. |
 Michael Whitmire grew up on the "Merry Christmas Tree Farm" in Cateechee, SC, near Norris SC. He lived for 3 years in Seattle, Washington after graduating from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and before returning home to the Southeast Piedmont. Michael is currently studying for his Masters of Science degree at Clemson University in Plant and Environmental Science. After completing his degree he hopes to teach permaculture, ecological design and sustainable farming systems. He plans on researching and demonstrating ways to make these ideas work in day-to-day life, and to practice what he preaches at his family farm in Cateechee. We, at The Happy Berry are excited that he has chosen us as a place to intern in sustainability this summer. |
 Anthony Craven our employee showing off a gallon of blueberries he has picked. Anthony is 15 years old (summer of 2003) and is a rising ninth grader at Liberty High School. He is enrolled in the college Preparation curriculum. He is hard worker and we are proud he works for us. There does not seem to be anything he can't do. He is quiet, reserved and raises a few chickens with his family and sells a few eggs. His current aspiration is to be State Trooper like his father. |
 Happy Berry Casey [June 18, 2003] Our 2003 mascot, baby Casey the Pig, had a great summer meeting and playing with kids. The winters are lonely on the farm though, and he has gone to live at a petting farm where he can be lavished with attention, and continue teaching children about pigs. |
Albert Arron [Chub] Mann, Born and raised in Six Mile on a cotton farm. He will be 89 years old this summer (2004). He worked in the local logging industry when logging was done with mules and railroad tracks and through the transition to tractors. Chub has been a sawyer and ran the Six Mile saw mill starting in 1941 after his father passed away. The saw mill sawed timber for Mr. Homer Stewart who ran the Six Mile Lumber Company. Later he worked for the lumber company as well as local grocery stores. While working all these jobs he has been a farmer on his own farm raising cotton, beef cows, chickens/eggs, and in more recent years fruits and vegetables. If you want to know something about local history, he is the man to ask. Chub has three grand children and three great grand children.
The Happy Berry, Inc.
Mailing Address Only: 120 Kelley Creek Road
Farm Address-No Mail Receptacle: 510 Gap Hill Road
Six Mile, SC 29682
Phone: (864) 868-2946
Farm: (864) 350-9345
Email: ContactUs@TheHappyBerry.com>