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By Anthony Richards

anthony.richards@clantonadvertiser.com

 

The peak of strawberry season is about to begin, and both Jared Burnett and Wesley Hale are ready for what the season will offer.

It is the second year that the cousins have come together to run a u-pick stand at its location along U.S. 31 between Thorsby and Clanton.

This year the farm has been named Yellow Leaf Corner, which came from the farm’s location along Yellow Leaf Creek.

“This is a fourth generation farm,” Burnett said.

According to Hale, Yellow Leaf Corner was the idea of his grandfather, who died before being able to see it become a reality.

“It’s all been passed down,” Hale said. “If they pull up to the building and the strawberry patch is 10 feet behind, you know exactly where it [strawberries] came from,” Hale said.

About 40,000 strawberry plants currently sit directly behind the produce stand along U.S. 31. That total is up from 10,000 a year ago.

The goal is to continue increasing the size of the crop.

“I hope to go up to 60,000 next and would love to get up to 100,000 one day,” Burnett said.

The crop’s proximity to U.S. 31 has allowed the regular travelers of the road to follow the strawberries’ growing process as they have driven by during the past months.

“I think we have a real good location where we’re at,” Hale said.

Customers have the option to pick strawberries themselves for $8 or choose from baskets that have been pre-picked for $10.

Strawberry season is typically 10 to 12 weeks with it coming to and end in early June depending on the weather patterns.

“A lot of rain can hurt strawberries,” Burnett said.

According to Burnett, last year they started selling strawberries a month earlier than this year. However, this year’s crop appears to be in real good shape.

The difference that Burnett and Hale have had to adapt to between strawberries and other crops is the expedited growing season.

“It’s very unique, because it’s such a short block to try to sell them all,” Hale said.