Strawberry picking season: Why some local Myrtle Beach area farmers are struggling this year
Whether your craving strawberry shortcake, strawberry smoothies, or just a bowl full of berries with clouds of whipped cream you might have a hard time this Strawberry U-pick season.
Imagining rows and rows of green plants with those delightful red berries just bursting with flavor?
After contacting local strawberry farms we found out this years crops have some farmers struggling with providing berries for you to pick. Some area farmers are providing area farmer’s markets and fruit stands with hand picked berries.
Lynn’s Berries
Location: 3291 E. Highway 19, Conway, SC
Open: Check Lynn’s Berries on Facebook
Contact: Follow on FB for next day and times we are open.
Sitting outdoors on a beautiful Thursday morning, Jimmy and Lynn Hammond talk about life and the growing of Strawberries in Conway, South Carolina.
In 1904 the farm was founded, it was not a Strawberry Farm it was a tobacco and mule farm for the City of Conway.
In 1936 George H. Jenkins Sr and his wife, Mamie Churchill Jenkins, moved their family to Conway from Fayetteville, NC with son George H. Jenkins Jr.
“Tobacco was the main source of the farm, back in those days mules were used to farm the tobacco, said Hammond “The mules would come from Raleigh, NC and they were either purchased or rented for their farming needs, farmers would either put up properties or feed to purchase the mules.”
In time tractor’s came in play and the use of mules were no longer used for farming.
Of Course, by this time George H. Jenkins Jr., had graduated from Conway High School and had gone on to continue his education at Clemson A and M College with a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering. He married Amy Lovell Timbes Jenkins and continued with three years serving as Commissioned Officer in the Army and later becoming a member of the active Army reserve.
George was keenly interested in the revitalization of Conway’s downtown and served on the first Main Street, USA Board in Conway. He was a supporter of Clemson University and Tiger sporting events.
Amy and George divided their time between their home in town and “The Jenkins Six-Mile Farm” where they enjoyed growing strawberries and vegetables to share with others.
“Each week George would gather up all the produce and the family would take it to the farmer’s market in Columbia, SC and sell it, local markets were not established in the Myrtle Beach area then,” Hammond said.
George Jr. felt that living and raising his family in Conway was the most important thing in his life.
“After some time had passed and produce was just to much to grow anymore George decided just to farm and sell Strawberries,” said Hammond. “This is when U-pick Strawberries was started on three acres of farm, George would also take them to downtown Conway in his blue and white truck and sell the strawberries in baskets.”
George struggled later in life with the tough work of the farm. He also could no longer do the physical labor due to illness so his daughter Lynn and her husband Jimmy decided to grow strawberries.
The Jenkins Six Mile Farm founded in 1978 was owned originally by George Jenkins Jr., father of Lynn Jenkins Hammond who is owner of Lynn’s Berries U-pick Strawberries with her husband Jimmy Hammond. Jenkins Six Mile farm was gifted to George Jenkins Jr. children after his passing, Lynn Jenkins Hammond, Hunter Jenkins and Bobbitt Jenkins.
“This year’s crop has been devastated due to December’s harsh cold and a fungus (Gnomonia Leaf Blotch) that took over many plants,” said Hammond. “This and the cold weather has definitely impacted the producing of the berries.”
Strawberries and onions and some asparagus are what Hammond has in his fields. The Hammond’s sells nothing that they don’t grow themselves right in Conway.
“I sell quality over quantity and if the berries aren’t producing we are not going to open our fields, I would have to use a scale of 1 to 10 and this year our Strawberry fields we would say are a 2 and 1/2, typically we would rate them a 9 1/2,” said Hammond.
Please be sure to check social media Lynn’s Berries to see when the U-pick Strawberry fields are open.
“Our day’s and times will vary each week, “the Strawberries and weather regulate when we open,” said Hammond.
Tyler’s Produce
Location: 4800 U.S. 378, Conway, SC
Open: 9 a.m - 5 p.m. Mon. through Sat.
Contact: 843-397-6362 (Call or check the website before you go.)
The Strawberry fields are open daily Monday through Saturday.
“Tyler’s Produce plans to be open for Strawberry picking until the berries are done, which typically is the middle of May to the beginning of June, depending on the heat,” Marie Vaca, said.
It is officially Strawberry growing season, but from my own personal visits to the produce market there is plenty of produce to choose from and it is always pretty well stocked.
“A fungus problem and this years cold weather has had the staff covering the berries with frost covers, however the fields are monitored and picked daily by staff to control the fungus,” said Vaca.
Tyler’s Produce is open for business year round. Check out their facebook page.
“The impact has caused the business to throw out hundreds of gallons of Strawberries,” said Vaca.
Indigo Farms Market
Location: 1542 Hickman Rd., NW., Calabash, NC
Open: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tues, Thurs., Sat.,
Contact: 910-287-6794 (Call or check website or facebook before you go.)
Indigo Farms Market is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Indigo Farms Market has a table at the Myrtle Beach farmers market on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and at the International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach farmers market on Thursday afternoons.
