It's Strawberry Time in Tennessee

May brings some of the most wonderfully delicious strawberries to Tennessee.  As I visited my local farmer's market last Friday I was lucky enough to get 1 gallon of strawberries for $12 (see next post how I used them to make strawberry jam for less than $1.25 per half-pint).  Now I know many people might think that sounds like a lot of money, but you have to consider the time, resources and risk...yes, risk...involved with being a strawberry farmer. 

I purchased my berries from a booth run by Valley Home Farm in Wartrace, TN.  The co-owner of this family farm was working the booth that morning, so I took the opportunity to find out a bit more about their operation.  She shared with me that since late March they had been working 15 hour days.  With nighttime temperatures falling into the high 30's and low 40's they have to go out into the fields throughout the night to check field temperatures.  They have to use special protective frost blankets to shield the strawberries as they start to bloom or the crop can literally be lost on one cold night.  I commented to her that the lecturer at my Master Gardener class had said it cost about $10,000 per acre to grow strawberries...which was astounding to me..but she said it was actually more. 

If you've never visited a strawberry farm you might be surprised to see all the special preparations and work that goes into producing them.  It starts in the fall with using special equipment to build the raised beds and put down black plastic mulch sheets to cover them.  There are holes about every 6 inches that strawberries will have to be hand-planted into.  Underneath, a drip irrigation system has to be installed to carefully monitor and dispense just the right amount of water to grow the plump, juicy strawberries we all love.  If Mother Nature cooperates, then by mid-April the berries begin to ripen, and run for about 6 weeks. One bad winter or a late spring frost and the entire crop can be lost.  When it's berry picking time pickers must be hired to hand pick each and every berry or some farmers choose to offer "pick your own" at a reduced price.

So the next time you look at a beautiful package of strawberries, I hope you appreciate the labor of love and tremendous investment that farmers put into growing these wonderful fruits.  And remember, please support your local farmers...they support you.