Steven Mathis, owner and farm manager of Mathis Farms (now Haylee’s Harvest), bought his first 11 acre farm in 1982 while still in high school and began farming strawberries. Today, Mr. Mathis and his family have over 500 acres of strawberries and blueberries in the Plant City/Dover area.

Mr. Mathis, his daughter Haylee, and their farm team are committed to protecting natural land and water resources. Some of their projects have included installing a weather station and a soil moisture monitoring system, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and Southwest Florida Water Management District. The family also utilizes frost cloth to protect their berries from freezes, instead of utilizing overhead irrigation. They have been progressive in exploring new ways to grow berries by utilizing high tunnels, conserving water, and limiting diseases.

As Steven’s daughter Haylee has stepped into the family business, she has brought cooling and production facilities onto the farm, which now consists of 520 acres of strawberries and vegetables fields. When Haylee Mathis joined the family business, she helped bring more of the process home to the farm by leading it's expansion into packing and cooling. Founded by Haylee Mathis, Haylee's Harvest carries that Mathis legacy forward into the next generatoion, with a primary focus on high quality strawberries.