PENDER COUNTY, N.C. — North Carolina is known for its delicious strawberries.
In fact, they were even designated as the official red berry of the state.
Typically, these berries are only in season in late spring, but Lewis Nursery and Farms in Pender County has found a way to keep harvesting them throughout the winter, using tunnels to grow "winter berries."
Cal Lewis has been growing berries his whole life.
“It’s just my passion,” Lewis said. “Ever since I was a little boy, my dad did it, my granddad did it, I guess it’s just what I know, and I enjoy it. I enjoy the heck out of it.”
At Lewis Nursery and Farms, they grow strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, all of which traditionally blossom and produce fruit in the spring and summer. Lewis, however, has found a way to produce berries throughout the winter also. It’s all thanks to the farm’s protective tunnels.
“We have these tunnels that allows heat to build up during the day,” Lewis explained. “And when the temperatures get down below 32 at night, we have these covers that we’ll pull over and keep them protected.”
Those tunnels aren’t like a typical green house, with full coverage, heat and an adjustable light schedule. Lewis says they’re simply a way of protecting the plant from harsh winter conditions. This kind of protection costs $50,000 an acre.
“It’s worth it, they’re locally grown, the flavor is really good because they’re protected from rain, which dilutes the flavor a lot of times,” Lewis said. “And most consumers when given the alternative of being able to buy premium product, even though it costs a little more, the delight in the consumption of it is worth the value.”
Having these strawberries available in the winter also allows the farm to hit the ground running come spring when they’ll start selling the traditionally grown strawberries.
Lewis Nursery and Farms is home to 140 acres of standard spring strawberries, which will start to blossom in a little over a month.
“This is a dormant phase now where they’re not fruiting or thriving,” Lewis said. “They’ll break dormancy in March, early March late February, they’ll bloom, and then they’ll harvest in April and May for two-week season with a real concentrated harvest during that period.”
Regardless whether they’re traditional strawberries or his winter berries, Lewis says he’s happy to be doing what he loves year-round.
Lewis Nursery and Farms also has 55 acres of tunnel-grown blackberries and is in the early stages of producing tunnel-grown raspberries. The farm is also home to 400 acres of traditional blueberries. You can find its products in stores across the state or at its seasonal retail locations in Wilmington.