Berry Hill Farm Closes After Nearly 40 Years in Dexter

Berry Hill Farm almost made it to 40 years.

The longtime Dexter farm, started by Jim and Nancy Jedele in 1986, is now permanently closed, Jim Jedele announced April 22.

“Almost made it to 40 years,” Jedele said. “But Berry Hill Farm is now permanently closed. Thanks to everyone for your support over the years. I will miss you.”

For many Dexter-area families, Berry Hill Farm was part of the season. What began as a red raspberry farm grew into a fall destination with a large pumpkin patch, fall decorations and regular customers who became friends, according to Nancy Jedele’s obituary.

Nancy Lynn Jedele died Aug. 26, 2025, after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease. She and Jim married in 1970 and moved to Dexter in 1975, where they raised six children in the home they built.

In its final years, the farm’s updates grew more personal. In June 2024, Berry Hill Farm opened for black raspberry picking while asking customers to bear with them because of health issues. Later that year, Jim told customers there would be no fall raspberry season.

“Nancy’s Parkinson’s disease continues to require much time and energy for her care,” he wrote, adding that he hoped her health would improve and the farm could open again in 2025.

That reopening did not happen. In another message to followers, Berry Hill Farm said it was “not able to open this year” and added, “We will miss seeing everyone.”

When Nancy died later that year, the farm’s Facebook page addressed its followers as “many friends” and noted that people had continued asking about her health.

The closure announcement drew emotional responses from people who remembered Berry Hill Farm as more than a place to buy berries. Berry Hill Farm was “not just a farm but a tradition,” describing generations of families, summer mornings in the fields and children who grew up and returned with children of their own.

For years, customers followed Berry Hill Farm season by season, from berry picking days to weather-shortened harvests. The posts were often simple and practical, but they reflected the farm’s steady place in the community.

Now, after nearly four decades, one of Dexter’s longtime seasonal traditions has come to an end.