Michael “Brandon” Breaux, along with his wife Lauren Breaux, are the owners of Cockeyed Farms. Known as “The Cockeyed Farmer”, Brandon was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. “The Cockeyed Farmer” name came about when Brandon was medically retired from the Army due to Gulf War syndromes like cluster headaches, vertigo, and full body inflammation. At one point, his resting heart rate was 133 beats per minute. He and Lauren decided to sell everything they owned to become farmers hoping that a more “decompressed” lifestyle would help the healing process.
Brandon was able to convince his wife that the name Cockeyed Farms was the perfect fit for the farm, saying he’d been walking in circles for years. They discovered elderberries growing in the wild on their property, and after extensive research, decided to grow elderberries on their farm. Elderberries have many healing benefits and are known to be easy to grow. Amazingly enough, the harvest time was the part of the year (June-July in Louisiana) when Brandon “felt like a normal human being.”
In the spring of 2018, Cockeyed Farms became the first commercial American elderberry farm in Louisiana. Brandon and Lauren both have a passion for learning and teaching. Brandon gives all the hiccups in his life credit for helping him further evolve and become a better version of himself. “Mind, body, and spirit” (with the addition of finances) is the mantra that his family uses to learn and grow together. Despite the challenges, farming gives Brandon a renewed purpose that helps him get up every morning, even when he doesn’t feel like it.
The number of programs and information available can be very confusing and have people walking around in circles, “cockeyed.” Brandon praises FVC for being organized and a reliable resource for veterans to share ideas and be a support network. After seeing everything that FVC had to offer, the decision to be a part of it was a no-brainer. Cockeyed Farms became Homegrown by Heroes certified in 2022.
From selling products in mason jars with business cards attached, to being one of 3 companies in the United States selling pure American elderberry juice, Cockeyed Farms has grown a lot in past years. The challenges they face serve as opportunities to learn and evolve. Brandon encourages other aspiring farmer veterans to be persistent. With the free opportunities that come with FVC, you get out what you put in. He claims there is no set way to farm, find what works for you and just keep going.
Along with being a HBH certified member, Brandon serves as the Vice President of the Louisiana FVC chapter, along with his wife Lauren who is the chapter President. Always willing to help fellow farmer veterans, Brandon will go out of his way to make sure people around him get the help they need. Brandon describes his concept of helping people being like the airplane briefing of oxygen masks, put your own mask on first then aid the people around you. Brandon and Lauren aim to teach veterans in hopes of turning a hobby into something that can eventually become a business.
You can learn more about Cockeyed Farms via their website here: https://www.cockeyedfarms.com/
To learn more about the Louisiana FVC chapter, visit their Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/LouisianaFVC or email them at louisiana@farmvetco.org
