From Roots to Revival: The Story Behind Flynn Family Farms

Back in the 1980s, my father decided to spend his summers away from teaching by farming. He often said he “wanted his boys to know what real work is like.” And so, we began haying. It started with just 20 acres, but by the early 2000s, we had grown to 250 acres—producing over 15,000 square bales stacked by hand and 500 round bales each year.

Over time, the operation evolved. My brother went to college and later returned when his aviation career allowed. In 2004, I stepped away from farming to pursue higher education and, for nearly 20 years, was out of the hay business. During this time, my brother helped expand the operation and focus on producing top quality hay winning multiple awards. By 2018, my brother had relocated to South Georgia, and I found myself in Danville with four young kids and a desire to return to a more grounded, rural life. In 2020, my parents moved to Danville as well, although my father still made the drive to Louisville during the summer months to help roll hay.

In 2022, a friend asked if I had ever found a farm. I told him there was one I’d been watching, but it wasn’t for sale. Turns out, he knew the owner—and that conversation marked the beginning of our journey to owning it. In January 2023, it officially became ours.

We briefly considered raising cattle, but I quickly realized that hay production was what I knew best—and we already had the equipment for it.

That spring, we plowed 55 acres using a 4-bottom and a 3-bottom plow. Much of the land had never been tilled, and the amount of rock made that clear. Thankfully, having four kids came in handy. Summer brought our new hay storage barn and our first batch of alfalfa hay. That year, we produced 2,000 square bales, 750 grass rolls, and shed a lot of sweat. But it was just the beginning.

This past season was nothing short of phenomenal—we harvested 4,000 square bales of pure timothy and 6,000 square bales of alfalfa. And we’re just getting started. Future years will be even better.