Discovering NC Agriculture is a year-long series focusing on twelve N.C. grown, raised, caught, and made commodities. Tune in each month to see how an N.C. commodity is grown, harvested, packed for consumer use and more. Learn nutritional value, find fun recipes to try, hear from local chefs who use that product, and other unique commodity facts throughout the series. We look forward to helping you better understand some of our N.C. commodities and how they impact your everyday lives!
Strawberry season is one that brings many North Carolinians excitement and joy! Matt Rudd, fourth-generation farmer at Rudd Farms in Greensboro, shares in the anticipation and buzz around strawberry season each year. Growing 17 acres of Ruby June and Albion strawberries, the Rudd family knows a lot about planting, growing and harvesting the best strawberries for the community.
For many families, strawberry season begins in late March or early April. For a farming family, however, strawberry season begins in late September or mid-October. “The growing season for strawberries works a little differently than other crops across our state,” Matt said. “We begin planting berries around early October. They will grow for a while in the fall, but once winter weather hits, they will go dormant until springtime.” Spring weather, specifically warmer temperatures, will trigger strawberry plants to begin blooming and producing fruit. Matt and his family use both drip tape and row covers to ensure their berries are protected from frost and receive adequate water supply throughout the growing season. The time from planting to harvest each year, however, is highly dependent on the weather.
Typically, Rudd Farms will start harvesting strawberries around mid-April each year. An average strawberry season will last eight weeks, according to Matt, but can last longer depending on temperatures and rainfall. “Once harvest starts, strawberry supply is a lot like a bell curve,” he said. “The harvest starts off slow, then picks way up around May and dwindles back down as the season comes to a close.” Once temperatures hit the upper 80’s and 90’s, strawberry plants shut down and stop growing. “Our family has been growing strawberries for many years and we love it because it kicks our season off right at the farm,” Matt said. “There is an excitement in the air and buzz around the community as strawberry season approaches. We see many customers out at the farm and get to watch them enjoy the products that we work so hard to grow each year.”
Strawberries from Rudd Farms can be purchased at their farm store on-site. In 2024, the Rudd Family renovated their farm store, so customers can look forward to an all-new layout and design this year! The store will be open Monday through Saturday during the growing season, which for Rudd Farms is typically mid-April until the end of October. In addition to strawberries, they harvest many delicious produce items, including greenhouse tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, and more. “We take pride in growing a variety of products for everyone to enjoy,” Matt said.
Rudd Farms was started in the early 1900’s as a tobacco farm in Guilford Count. Until the early 2000’s, the farm specialized in tobacco and wheat. It wasn’t until the big tobacco buyout that the family decided to diversify their crop production and began growing strawberries. Today, the Rudd Family grows 17 acres of strawberries, 50 to 60 acres of other produce items, and maintains several greenhouses for vegetable production. Be sure to visit them this year and try their produce, especially their strawberries, for yourself!
