September 2020 - 9

includes about 2 acres of greenhouses
and 3 acres of high tunnels that help
to extend growing seasons, such as
growing day-neutral strawberries that
ripen in the fall.
The old peach packing shed was the
farm market for many years, but when
Sam returned, they built a new farm
market next door, three times as big, on a
concrete pad. The old shed is still used as
a break room by employees. In addition
to the main farm market, Bush-N-Vine
has farm markets in Rock Hill and in
Lake Wiley, which allow for more sales
in an area that's between some of the
main highways in the area.
" We've always been direct
marketers, " he said. " We're sort of in a
metropolitan area; don't have enough
arable land to grow volumes. "
Constant improvement
The red soils of the region are a bit
of a challenge - not all of the ground
is even arable, or capable of being
cultivated.
" Our soil here in this area is
primarily a Cecil clay loam, " Hall said.
" We think it can make great-tasting
fruit, but it can be challenging. " Tillage
is necessary to break up the clay clods.
" We've always been big believers
in rotation, " he said. Strawberries are
grown on a piece of land just about
every fourth year, with the years
between filled up with a legume like
Southern peas or crowder peas, sweet
corn and finally a small grain of
some kind.
" Usually we'll do a small grain right
before we do strawberries again, " Hall
said. " And so, we'll cut the small grain
off and plow all that organic matter
right back into the soil. " All of the
strawberries are grown in black plastic
weed covers.
Challenges to growing strawberries
include thrips, spider mites, botrytis
and anthracnose. While the farm
does have to use some fungicides
and insecticides at times, Hall said
they've begun using beneficial
insects, and experimenting with
using UV-C light to knock down
fungal infections in the strawberries.
Their goal is to be sustainable.
" We want to leave our soil and
environment in better condition
than when we inherited it, " Hall said.
" That's our goal, and so we keep
honeybees on the farm. It's constant
challenge. "
CSAs in the COVID-19 era
Customer preferences have changed
drastically over the last 40 years.
Starting in the 1980s, " we marketed to
my parents, grandparents, generation(s)
back in the 80s, who froze and canned, "
he said. " Now, generations want
fresh year-round. " The day-neutral
strawberries are one way for the farm to
meet that year-round challenge. Also,
the seasons are set up so that there is
a different fruit in season for most of
spring, summer and fall. Bush-N-Vine
has tried some different products,
including some beef from steers that are
finished on-site - customers can order a
30-pound box of beef.
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The group has a CSA program.
About 600 customers this summer
paid for weekly deliveries of extrasmall,
small, medium or large shares
of produce from the farm.
" My son started that in college in
2010, and that's really taken off this
year, " Hall said. " That's one thing
COVID's really affected, is people
are wanting more food delivered to
them, and local to them. "
While hayrides and school tours
have been canceled, the direct sales
remain strong, he said. Customers
are interested in the food rather than
agricultural entertainment.
" I've always enjoyed providing
something people needed, " Hall said.
" And people need healthy food, fresh
Bob Hall, third from left, with a work crew. Bush-N-Vine has 12-15 year-round
employees, in addition to about eight seasonal workers through the H-2A visa program.
fruit and vegetables. We get great
satisfaction in meeting that need.
Particularly this year, people are
wanting that again. ... The Lord's
really blessed us - we're thankful
to do something we enjoy doing,
growing fruit and vegetables for
people. " VGN
VGN | SEPTEMBER 2020 | 9

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September 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2020