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Flowery crop for strawberry farmers
Ken Suarez reports
DOVER, Fla. - A drive through Dover is sure to delight this time of year, especially along the edge of Berry Sweet Acres, where acres of towering sunflowers zinnias in every color are in bloom.
"Every day, I come out here and more flowers are opened up," said Matt Parke, who planted them. "I take pictures and send them to my wife [and say] ‘Look how beautiful they are!’ And I am not a flower guy."
Berry Sweet Acres is the latest farm to jump on a growing trend. Strawberry farmers are planting flowers during their off season and letting customers come pick their own bouquets.
"I see everything from husbands coming to pick for their wives, which is really sweet." Matt’s wife, Candice, told FOX 13. "We have family days with a whole bunch of kids coming. We have homeschoolers. We have a nice variety of people coming out to visit."
It's $2 to get in and then flowers are sold per flower or by the bunch.
Parks said it's a win-win situation: Customers spend a day in the country and come home with beautiful flowers. Strawberry growers get a shot at bringing in income they might not otherwise have.
Traditionally, growers plant what’s called a "cover crop" during the summer, then plow it under to fertilize the soil for the strawberry plants, which go in every fall.
That costs money.
The flowers bring in money.
"We’re not going to come out of here gangbusters and ride off in our Rolls-Royce, but we may pay for our seed," said Matt.
Along with picking flowers, people are enjoying the cool, calm, back-to-nature aspect of the fields.
For example, photographers are using the farm as a shoot location. A Plant City yoga instructor is going to be holding classes there.
The atmosphere is not going to last forever, but it's nice while it does.
The plants are expected to stop flowering in a few weeks.
For more information, visit https://www.berrysweetacres.com/.