ItâTMs Strawberry Season at KelleyâTMs Berry Farm
Every year thereâTMs one question in particular thatâTMs heard loud and clear all over Tennessee, starting about mid-May. ItâTMs heard from kids and adults alike, not to mention on local news programs and in produce departments: âAre the strawberries ripe yet?â The lusciously sweet, juicy, fiber-filled strawberry is arguably the most eagerly anticipated produce of the season. For most southerners, itâTMs more than just their taste; itâTMs a flashback to childhoodâfresh strawberry pie, homemade strawberry jams, jellies and preserves, strawberry freezer jam, strawberry shortcake, strawberry salad and strawberries just for plain ole finger-lickinâTM healthy nibblinâTM. The berry season starts with the strawberry.
Actually, whether the berries are ripe isnâTMt the first concern of farmers and berry lovers in the state; instead, itâTMs whether that ever-present late frost of the winter-to-spring season was bad enough, lengthy enough or late enough to hurt or even destroy our strawberry crop for the yearâand up the prices dramatically. When that late frost occurs, as it invariably does, farmers put down straw and/or fabric crop covers, tucking the berries lovingly into their outdoor beds in an effort to keep them warm, much like a child is swaddled on a cold winterâTMs night. Without a late frost, this year's strawberry harvest is bountiful and sweet.
With the news that the season's strawberry crop is plentiful, people all over the state begin deciding when and where they will purchase or pick their jelly-pie-cake-salad-eatinâTM strawberries; where these short-seasoned gems are concerned, berry enthusiasts canâTMt afford to wait until the last minute. If you are a post-picked purchaser, the âwhereâ choices are numerous, with roadside trucks, fruit stands and farmersâTM markets popping up all over the state. If you are a pick-them-yourself-purchaser, your choices arenâTMt quite so widespread, though there are a number of farms across the state offering the pick-your-own service. One such farmâthat sits conveniently just outside the Nashville areaâis KelleyâTMs Berry Farm.
This family-run, family-friendly farm is located on the banks of the Cumberland River in Trousdale County. In addition to strawberries, brothers Patrick and Jon Kelley also grow blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and peaches.
When it comes to growing these delicious red gems, nature doesnâTMt always cooperate. Patrick Kelley says that the last frost this year only did minor damage. But, he says with a grimace in his voice, he remembers last year. It was April 16, he recalls: âIt was one of the latest frosts on record [locally] and it destroyed a lot of our strawberry crop.â The southern berry farmer went on to say, âWe enjoy doing what we do, but itâTMs a gamble. Sometimes itâTMs like gambling in Vegas.â
The Kelley brothers are accustomed to the ups and downs of farming, having done it all their lives, even during high school. When asked if the two brothers grew up on a farm, Patrick answers yes. When asked if their dad was a farmer, Patrick laughs and says without a hint of resentment, âDad was a physician. He liked farming. But [my brother and I] did the farming for him.â Perhaps their father, now deceased, knew exactly what he was doing: The boysâTM exposure to farming obviously fostered a love that would carry on as their lifelong careers. Perhaps thatâTMs just what the doctor ordered.
Do Patrick and Jon follow their own fatherâTMs footsteps when it comes to their own kids working on the farm? âThe kids sell for us,â says Patrick. âBut they donâTMt work on the farm. All of our kids are in college, but they do like to sell for us. We sell in so many different places, we couldnâTMt do it without them.â
ItâTMs a family venture, with brothers Patrick and Jon at the helm, assisted by PatrickâTMs wife, Cathy, and their two children, Katie and James, as well as JonâTMs two kids, Jenn and Hunter.
Local Table asked Patrick Kelley for a few details about their farm: What do families get out of the âpick-your-ownâ system? âThis is a great way to see exactly where the berries are coming from and how they are grown,â he says.
What kind of farming do you strive for? âOur farming practices include cover crops in the winter, crop rotations and integrated pest management. We use horse manure on our berry plants for organic matter,â he states.
WhatâTMs new this year? âNew to our farm products is homemade blueberry jam,â Patrick answers. âThis the first year we are selling our jam. This coming season we will be adding strawberry, blackberry, raspberry and peach jams. We hope everyone will give them a try. We strive in growing high-quality and great-tasting berries. Over the years we have learned many things to do, and many things not to do, in growing the best berries. I hope all berry lovers give our berries a taste.â
ItâTMs pretty obvious, after speaking with the Kelleys, that whether you buy your berries picked or pick them yourself, you can count on this family to help you get it done.
KelleyâTMs Berry Farm:
Patrick Kelley 615-633-1426
Jon Kelley 615-633-7447
50 Riverview Estates Lane, Castalian Springs, TN 37031
Or, find them on Facebook @ KelleyâTMs Berry Farm Berry Buying and Picking Seasons:
Strawberries, May-June
Blackberries, June-July
Blueberries, July-August
Raspberries, August- September
Peaches, July
FarmersâTM markets where you can buy Kelley produce and products:
Franklin FarmersâTM Market
Main Street Saturday Market of Murfreesboro
12 South FarmersâTM Market
East Nashville FarmersâTM Market
Vanderbilt FarmersâTM Market
Hip Donelson FarmersâTM Market
West Nashville Richland Park
West End FarmersâTM Market
FarmersâTM Market at the Crossings