The day I visited Hancock Family Farm was an overcast day in February, not one that sends you running to a farm stand for seasonal produce. As I sat in the small break room of the farm store with mom, dad, grandfather and grandson, I was struck by the gravity (and honor) of having three generations of farmers in one room. And not just any room, but the back of a red-roofed market adorned with family photos and county-fair-winning artwork and ribbons from decades past. It’s beloved by most everyone within the county line, as witnessed by the continually dinging chime on the front door as it opened and shut.
Open year round, stocked with fresh seasonal produce and a curated selection from local purveyors, Hancock Family Farm Market serves as the storefront to a family-farming legacy that took root more than a century ago.
At the heart of that legacy is Matthew Hancock, who got a taste of farming as a teenager selling fresh corn out of the back of his truck. Born and raised on the soil he now tends, Matthew grew up learning from both sides of his family, surrounded by community that supported the work. He can’t pinpoint a single defining moment that set him on this path. “It was a lot of little things,” he says. “My whole life is here, and farming just made sense.”
He’s quick to admit he’s most at home in the fields, quietly keeping things running behind the scenes. “I like working out there, making sure everything’s getting done and taken care of,” he says. “I’ve never really felt like I fit in the city. I’d much rather be out here on the farm, doing the work.”
Matthew’s wife, Jodi, oversees the market and the daily rhythms that keep the farm connected to customers. Meanwhile, their four children have made their marks on the farm, as seen in details such as “Lee’s candy onions,” named for a son who famously snacked on onions like apples when he was young.
Matthew’s father, Leslie “Squirrel” Hancock, adored across Robertson County for his rugged charm and brass, squirrel-shaped belt buckle, remains an active presence on the farm, lending experience, support and plenty of personality.
“I enjoy the people as much as anything,” Leslie says. “I see folks I went to school with, or someone from out of state, and before long we’re swapping stories about how they got here. We might be a little nosy sometimes, but people seem to enjoy telling their story, and I sure enjoy getting to work alongside my son and my grandkids.”
Matthew and Jodi’s home, “the homeplace,” was built by Matthew’s great-grandfather in 1911 and sits at the center of the farm’s peach orchards, fields and greenhouses. Nearly every part of their life and livelihood falls within a mile of these working acres: the market, their church and nearby family homes.
“When Matthew is working, we can walk outside and talk to him, and the kids are playing nearby,” Jodi reflects. “I catch myself thinking sometimes about the other families here before us, Matthew’s grandparents’ children doing the very same thing, playing outside while their dad worked the land. It makes you feel connected to something bigger than yourself.”
As spring gives way to summer, the farm enters its most vibrant season, when ruby-red strawberries swell on the stem and rows of hanging baskets spill over with blooms. Soon after, plump blackberries fill the stand, and orchard branches begin to bow under the weight of ripe, juicy peaches. And at last, the star of summer makes its farmstand debut – sweet corn, picked fresh and ready for cooking and buttering. It’s a time when the farm is at its most abundant and the connection between grower and table feels especially close.
For readers looking to savor the best of Tennessee’s growing season, Hancock Family Farm Market is well worth the short drive—just under 40 minutes—from the heart of Nashville. May welcomes strawberries and fresh, young greens and lettuces. June brings blackberries and peaches. Later in summer, keep an eye out for Red River tomatoes and Snow White corn.
You can also find Hancock products at the Nashville Farmers Market. To stay up to date on what’s in season and newly available, follow the farm on its website and social media channels.
@hancockfamilyfarm
