Strawberry Crop is Ripe for Picking at Verbena Farm

Spring is in full bloom all around us, and it’s especially true up the interstate in Verbena where this year’s strawberry crop is coming in strong.

Sugar Hill Farms in Verbena has over 100 thousand strawberry plants– more than they have ever had before. And they say now is the time to pick them.
For the past 8 years, strawberries have literally been a growing business for the Sugar Hill U-pick Farms.
They started with 28 thousand plants and each year expanded from there.
We’re told this year’s crop came early.
“We started early because of the warm winter. We started about two and a half weeks early. Then here lately they have been tasting really good because it’s been dry. Dry and hot makes them a lot sweeter,” said co-owner Scott Penton.

And the key to that sweetness is getting it ripe right off the vine.

“If you can’t get a berry that is truly red all the way through, then you are not going to have the flavor that you get with a true ripe berry,” said co-owner Keith Evans.

Customers have come to pick and taste for themselves.

“I was eating some while I was picking and they were delicious,” said Aisha Goodson.

Barbara Patterson agrees. “Oh, they were delicious, I tried them. I said a little dirt don’t hurt and kept on going!”

And whether you pick your own bucket or take one that’s already filled, owners say they are confident the the sweet taste will keep you coming back to Sugar Hill.

“We get a lot of compliments on our berries. People go to Costco, Sam’s, Winn-Dixie, wherever. And when they get home, they say the berries are not worth eating.  That makes a lot of difference and makes us feel good about what we are doing,” said Evans.

The strawberries are 8 dollars a bucket if you pick your own or 10 dollars for a pre-picked bucket.

For more information on Sugar Hill U-pick Farms, click here.