Greenwood Soul Mates – Stephen Farmer
For us, “soul” represents that unique essence each person contributes to their community, weaving a colorful tapestry of stories, talents, cultural experiences, and more. In Greenwood, this tapestry is formed by numerous unique individuals whose captivating stories and deep connections to the region’s food, music and history define our identity as a town and make Greenwood such an extraordinary place to visit. These remarkable individuals are our “Soul Mates.”
If you spend enough time in Greenwood, someone will eventually ask, “Have you met Sleepy Steve yet?”
They’re talking about Stephen Farmer – entrepreneur, storyteller, owner of the beloved Sleepy Steve’s mattress shop and a true Greenwood icon. Long before billboards and local commercials featured his signature slogan, “It ain’t easy being sleepy,” Farmer was a young man from Calhoun City, a small town he describes as “kind of like living in Mayberry.”
That Mayberry-like community, 61 miles from Greenwood, shaped the foundation for his entrepreneurial life. His mother ran a jewelry shop for more than four decades, and his father served as a family doctor for 54 years. But Stephen’s business instincts showed up early. He laughs when he remembers buying a neighborhood bicycle for $2 and selling it for $5. He was eight.
“My parents weren’t too happy, and my Dad made me go apologize,” he said, “but that’s also when I realized I liked to buy and sell and do it my whole life.”
Entrepreneurship soon became his rhythm. He ran a high-end gift shop called The Gold Exchange, then a jewelry store, all while earning a business degree at Ole Miss. When he saved enough money, he dropped out of college for a semester to chase a dream – a 930 Turbo Porsche in Germany.
“Well, I figured out $1 was worth $3 in Germany,” he said. “After that, I found some others who wanted cars too and brought them all back through customs, including my dream car.”
But the real turning point in his story wasn’t business. It was love.
A mutual friend introduced him to a Greenwood girl named Ashley. She was six years younger and he was instantly hooked. “We met one day, and we’ve really never been apart since,” he says simply. After they married, the Farmers lived in Calhoun City for a few years before moving to Ashley’s hometown, Greenwood – the city that would become their forever home.
At first, Greenwood felt big, busy and close-knit all at once. Everyone seemed to already know him. One day, his late father-in-law, Donnie Brock, called and told him to come by. That visit turned into one of the most valuable lessons Stephen ever received about living in Greenwood and the Mississippi Delta.
“People who come to the Delta and don’t get out and be part of the community end up not liking it,” Brock told him. “You get out of Greenwood what you put into it.”
That advice changed everything.
Stephen dove into the community – joining local boards, supporting charities, building friendships and eventually being named Top 40 Under 40 for community leaders. He opened cell phone retail stores, ran finance and loan companies, and built a reputation as someone who could make anything successful.
And just like that, the city he once viewed as unfamiliar became home.
Sleepy Steve and Delta Charm
Years later, a friend asked if he’d ever thought about selling mattresses. Stephen wasn’t looking for a new venture, but he knew he could sell just about anything. So he opened Sleepy Steve’s – a brand that fits him perfectly: fun, approachable and unmistakable.
“I branded it pretty good,” Stephen says with an easy smile. He’s not wrong. His commercials are part performance, part personality. He may start with a script, but the magic happens when he abandons the words and speaks from instinct. “It just comes out naturally,” he explains. Those ads became so popular, they rival the store’s fame. He has since added another business Greenwood Storage King to his portfolio and is expanding his reach even further.
And in true Sleepy Steve fashion, he’s also brought a one-of-a-kind lodging experience to life – an old church he transformed into an eight-bedroom lodge that sits on the banks of the Tallahatchie River called The Delta Lodge. The space blends rustic charm with high class. It’s perfect for getaways, retreats or weekends on the river.
But what truly defines Stephen isn’t just business – it’s heart. In Greenwood, he’s become more than a business owner; he’s a shiny character and a recognizable thread in the fabric of the town. He’s served on local boards, supported youth programs and invested time in community projects.
“I’m very compassionate about young kids and older people,” he says. “I’ve got a big heart.”
He and Ashley, who is the Greenwood Convention and Visitors Bureau Executive Director, often host visitors, take them to dinner, and show them the soul of their city. “The tourism here is huge,” he says. “People from all over the world come for the history, blues music, civil rights and food. It brings more money into the Mississippi Delta than people realize. But most importantly, Greenwood has some of the most generous and unforgettable people you will ever meet.”
When he talks about Greenwood, his affection runs deep.
“Some people say when you get to the Mississippi Delta, it kind of swallows you up. Once you break through, it becomes home.”
Over the years, he’s hunted on private farms, made lifelong friends, and built a life filled with stories that could only happen in Greenwood. And through it all, his love for blues music has remained steady.
“Blues is the best music there is, and I could listen to it all day,” he said. “And if I hadn’t moved to the Delta, I would have never met half the people who are now big parts of my life. It’s just a great community.”
Today, Stephen enjoys slowing down and spending time with his son, Sam Henry, a civil engineer in Oxford. Hunting trips have become less about the hunt and more about time spent together. “I just like being around them,” he says of his son, his daughter-in-law and his son’s friends. “They all came to my house growing up.”
Homegrown, Heartfelt and Awesome
Like his life, Sleepy Steve sums up Greenwood in one word – awesome. Then he pauses, searching for a way to explain a place that defies explanation.
“It’s just got its own niche. It’s an awesome place.”
So come to Greenwood and meet the characters. Hear the music. Taste the food. Feel the history. And if you stay long enough, you’ll probably meet Sleepy Steve. He’ll welcome you like an old friend, because that’s just who he is. And in Greenwood, that’s what people do.
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