it all starts with an idea
Our very first strawberry plants went into the ground in 2004. Those few plants, which seemed like an impossible task then, took root and not only did they produce fruit but they grew a love for growing strawberries! We've been together through it all and what started out as a small venture has turned into something amazing! We love growing strawberries so much, it really has become a passion. Which is a good thing, because strawberries need a lot of love and attention! You can't just plant them and watch from a distance... you need to nurture and watch, and you need a little bit of faith as well! Every year we look forward to seeing our new and old customers, the kids that come with parents, grandparents, or friends, and we enjoy seeing the red faces come in from the patch!
Nick and Gretchen met through 4-H in Junior High and decided in High School that we'd give this dating thing a try. You all know the story...boy likes girl, girl likes boy, and the rest is history. After Gretchen attended college and Nick spent time on deployment in Iraq, we decided to make it really official and have been married since 2007.
We bought our Century farm, where Nick's Dad and Grandpa grew up, in 2010 and planted strawberries right away! What would a true Nelson Farm be without strawberries?! In 2011, we picked both at our farm (the current patch) as well as at Nelson-Shine Produce (Country Sunshine Greenhouse), where Nick grew up and planted our original patch of berries. We slowly grew our patch to what it is today and have been solely picking at our farm since 2012.
In 2011 we welcomed our twin daughters and in 2017 we welcomed another little girl! If you have questions about anything related to strawberries, animals, or just life in general, they will gladly help you out with an answer! We are proud to to be raising our 3 girls on a farm where they get to experience so much!
Gretchen, Savannah, Nick, and Heather, 2013
Photo Credit: Time Capsule Photography/Sara Rothstein
Nelson's Berries