By Randall Rigsbee, Chatham News + Record Staff
Jean Copeland has been in the strawberry business for 40 years — that’s her name on the sign at Jean’s Berry Patch at the corner of N.C. Hwy. 751 and Lewter Shop Road a few miles east of Jordan Lake — and she’s accustomed to being busy during springtime.
Two weeks into this year’s season, Copeland said her business is doing very well.
Even with extra measures in place to protect customers from potential spread of COVID-19, demand for fresh strawberries is high and business strong
“It has worked out amazingly,” said Copeland, who launched this year’s selling season on April 16. “I’m just overwhelmed with the amount of customers we’ve had.”
Crediting a mild winter and good all-around growing conditions this spring, strawberry farmers throughout the state are harvesting excellent berries now and will be for the next few weeks, according to Christina Harvey, Agriculture Marketing Specialist with the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture.
“This year’s crop is looking pretty good,” Harvey said.
“Of all years,” she added — acknowledging the unexpected challenges growers faced because of the coronavirus pandemic getting their products to consumers this season.
But Harvey has been helping the state’s strawberry farmers adjust to the unique challenges of selling their products.
North Carolina has about 2,000 acres of strawberry production, according to N.C. State’s Extension Service. The state’s strawberry industry is “highly decentralized and almost entirely based on small- to medium-size family farms, selling at U-pick and ready-pick roadside stands and in farmers markets in all 100 counties,” according to Extension’s website.
The N.C. Strawberry Association, working with the N.C. Dept. of Agriculture, has helped establish guidelines for farmers to follow to mitigate coronavirus exposure.
“A lot of strawberry farmers are doing curbside sales,” Harvey said. “A lot of them have established online stores so customers can place orders in advance of coming out to the farm. Pick-your-own locations are keeping customers apart in the fields one or two rows. They’re sanitizing buckets.”
Copeland, likewise, has made adjustments to the way she normally does business, establishing drive-thru service and other changes.
“We take pre-orders a day ahead,” Copeland said, “and we have them ready in bags so when they come they just drive up.”
Sales at Jean’s Berry Patch — she’s offering strawberries at $5/quart and also has jams, jellies, honey and pound cakes available for purchase — are limited only to drive-thru and curbside service, she said.
She and her employees are wearing masks and gloves — the business’ website encourages customers do likewise — and they’re regularly sanitizing surfaces, including their credit card machine and the cards they swipe.
Copeland three years ago stepped away from growing berries, contracting since for her supply with a couple of farmers in Wake and Johnson counties, and she said she’s pleased with this year’s crop.
“We have excellent strawberries this year,” Copeland said. “I’ve got a good relationship with the farmers, and they know I don’t sell bad berries. They’re all picked fresh, every morning.”
Since launching her 2020 season in mid-April, Copeland’s business has been good, with consumers eager for the sweet spring treat.
“Oh my goodness,” Copeland said. “It’s probably four times as busy this year as it has been.”
She attributes the significant uptick, in part, to more people staying at home and, with produce availability uncertain or in limited supply at groceries, demand for fresh and local produce high.
“I think a lot of people are craving fresh foods,” she said. “And people have more time to come out to the farm. They’re staying at home more, with a lot of people not working at an eight-hour job at an office. And they have more time to make things with the strawberries.”
Business, likewise, has been good at Phillips Farms of Chatham, at 1282 Hanks Chapel Rd., Pittsboro, which also has implemented drive-thru service.
“We want to thank everyone for your phenomenal support of our family farm’s strawberry sales,” Phillips Farms posted on its Facebook page last week. “We certainly feel the love and we are so appreciative of our local folks. We sold 500 lbs. of strawberries in about 30 minutes today [April 29], and had lots more folks who were disappointed.”
But with “many berries still in the field waiting to ripen,” Phillips Farms expects to have strawberries available for several more weeks.
Both Phillips Farms (their “strawberry update” telephone number is 919-542-9974) and Jean’s Berry Patch (919-362-5800) advise customers to call ahead to ensure availability of product and determine operating hours.
Copeland said her “greatest joy” working in the strawberry growing and selling business over the past 40 years has been the social aspect, getting to know her customers, hosting school groups at her east Chatham County farm.
And while COVID-19 safety requirements are keeping her and her employees at a bit more of a distance from customers this season, Copeland said it’s still gratifying to supply them with a fresh product they enjoy.
“The best part is we have met so many wonderful people and we’ve established so many friendships,” she said. “It’s been a great experience to deal with a public that’s grateful for the product they’re getting.”
N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, who revealed in a post of the N.C. Department of Agriculture’s Facebook page that strawberry season “happens to be one of my favorite seasons,” said North Carolina consumers can continue to expect good berries for the duration of the season.
“They are abundant at this time,” Troxler said, “and there will be more and more at local roadside and farmers markets in the coming weeks.”
The N.C. Strawberry Association offers consumers a “farm locator” on its website — ncstrawberry.com — to help find farms by region.
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