Farmers enjoy successful start of strawberry season

MILAN, Tenn. — With the West Tennessee Strawberry Festival starting in just a couple of days, it’s already time to get your festive fruits.

“We come to the barn every day at daybreak, and we’re ready to go the field,” Denton Parkins, owner of Green Acres Farm, said. “If it’s not raining, we pick.”

Parkins says the berry season is off to a great start, and the weather is perfect.

“California weather in Tennessee,” Parkins said.

Parkins says it’s been one of the best strawberry seasons they’ve had in about five years.

“We’ve had no issues whatsoever. I mean, everything is right on time to be a good season,” Parkins said.

Excessive rain will typically cause problems for berries, but the rainy start to the year hasn’t hindered the crop growth or picking season.

“One of the advantages we have is that are our strawberries are on plastic beds that are raised about 8 inches up. So when we do get a rain, the water is shed off quickly in the middles, and it drains off into the fields.”

Parkins says orders for strawberries start coming in early in the morning, and they tend to run out quickly.

“We pick everyday and unless it’s a total wash out, but we will be here and have berries available,” Parkins said.

Strawberry season usually lasts around five to six weeks.

Parkins says they open their strawberry farm stand around 7:30 in the morning and stay open until their flats run out.