'It’s a community, it’s a family'

BAKER — Greg Evers understood that many people want fresh strawberries from a farm they know, not a chain grocery store.

That’s why in 1990, he opened Akers of Strawberries for families and individuals to pick the sweet fruit from the very plants they were growing on.

“It’s a community, it’s a family,” Evers said. “It’s a nice little get-together for the family to come out and pick their berries.”

Visitors collect a box near the entrance and stroll the rows of strawberries that line the property’s 10 acres. Pick what you want and how many you want, and then return to the entrance for checkout.

“You just get you a box and go to the field,” Evers said.

That’s what about 3,000 people did this past weekend for the farm’s seasonal opening. It was so many, Akers said, that he won’t have ripe berries to pick until Thursday.

Picking is the only way to get your hands, and tastebuds, on strawberries grown by Evers. Currently, he’s not selling to a distributor or grocery store, he said.

“Ours are sweeter than those you can get at the store and I think that’s our calling card,” Evers said. “It’s just better produce and tastes better.”

After picking, visitors can pair their strawberries with frozen yogurt or shortcake available from a kitchen on the property.

“We started doing the yogurt and shortcake when we first opened in 1990,” Evers said.

There was still plenty of work to be done, even though there were no berries for families to pick after the busy, opening weekend. Several workers were mowing the grass between rows and tending to the farm’s thousands of plants.

On an average day, two or three people work in the fields and another three or four work inside, according to Evers. Most of the staffers are part-timers and there’s no shortage of help.

“If you got two hands when you come here, you might find yourself working,” Evers said.

Akers of Strawberries only sells its namesake fruit, but Evers has experimented with other farms and products. His last venture was a neighboring farm that grew various vegetables.

However, Akers was the prime focus of Evers when he wasn’t wearing a suit and tie in Tallahassee.

In 2001, Evers was elected to the Florida House of Representatives from the state’s first district. He served in the House until 2010, when he was elected to the State Senate. Evers’ run in politics ended in 2016 when he left office and focused on his farm.

This extra focus came into use when a short Florida winter resulted in an early strawberry harvest. The season for strawberries runs from the end of March until the first week of June, according to Evers.

However, Akers saw ripe berries about a month early, he added. He attributed this to a mild winter with no hard freeze period. 

Visitors are welcome to visit Akers of Strawberries from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The farm is located at 1074 Melton Road, Baker.

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This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'It’s a community, it’s a family'