Discovering NC Agriculture is a social media series focusing on N.C. grown, raised, caught, and made commodities. Originally started in 2025, this series has been renewed to run for another year! 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!
Did you know that North Carolina ranks fifth nationally in cucumber production? From farmers that grow cucumbers to businesses that process them into pickles, cucumbers are a major commodity across our state. Reginald (aka Reggie) Strickland, owner and operator of Strickland Farming Group in Mount Olive, has been growing cucumbers, along with a variety of other crops, for many years, and knows firsthand how much they provide for farmers and the agriculture industry as a whole.
As a seventh-generation farmer, Reggie has always had a strong love for agriculture. “This farm has been in my family for generations,” he said. “From my grandfather growing tobacco and my dad operating the warehouse to me coming up in the industry and learning from my grandfather, agriculture runs in our veins and will always be home to me.” After graduating high school, Reggie attended N.C. State University where he obtained a degree in Agriculture Business Management. Upon graduation, he worked at N.C. State for ten years before returning home to take over the family farm. “Working at N.C. State taught me a lot about the business side of agriculture, like accounting and working with numbers,” Reggie said. “That experience has helped me be a better farm owner, operator and manager.”
Today, Strickland Farming encompasses 3,600 total acres of farmland with around 200 of those acres dedicated to pickling cucumbers. They also raise hogs and turkeys in partnership with Prestage Farms and Butterball. “We have a lot of partners and contracts on the farm, including those with Prestage Farms and Butterball,” Reggie said. “In fact, most of our pickling cucumbers are in contract with Mt. Olive Pickle Company, the largest independent pickle company in the United States.” Although they grow multiple varieties of pickling cucumbers on the farm each year, all of them are seedless varieties that produce better quality cucumbers due to less stress on the plant itself during growth.
Starting in mid-April, Reggie and his team begin planting cucumbers on the farm. “We typically have three to four plantings throughout the season to stage out production,” he said. “Our team uses a typical planted for each stage of cucumber planting, which usually lasts through mid-May.” Cucumbers are a 60-day crop, meaning they stay in the ground for about two months from planting until harvest. “We start harvesting the first round of cucumbers in mid-June and harvest through mid-August or September each year,” Reggie said. “All of our cucumbers are harvested by hand, which takes a lot of labor and hard work. I have the best team in the world who not only ensure that the job gets done, but that these cucumbers are harvested in the most efficient way possible.” Once the cucumbers are harvested, they are taken directly to Mt. Olive Pickle Company for sizing, washing and processing.
Although the weather can be a challenge from year-to-year due to the sudden hot and cold snaps that North Carolina can bring, Reggie loves being a farmer because no day is ever the same. “I love the challenge of farming, both good and bad,” he said. “No day is the same, whether we are harvesting cucumbers or sweet potatoes. I love being outside, working with the best crew in the world, and seeing the fruit of our labor every year.” If you are interested in trying a cucumber straight from the farm, Reggie recommends you reach out to his team via social media to see if any are available for purchase.
Cucumbers are a special crop for our state’s agriculture industry, and they are used in many ways both on and off the farm. “Cucumbers bring diversity to a lot of farms in North Carolina by offering a strong rotational crop that functions well seasonally with others,” Reggie said. “The industry also provides a lot of jobs for people and benefits to the state that would be otherwise missed.” We are so proud of the Strickland Family for all that they do in the agriculture industry. We can’t wait to see how their legacy will continue to flourish in the years to come!
