CULLMAN – At 30 County Road 260 in Cullman County, some of the Southeast’s most delicious strawberries and other fruits and vegetables are grown at J. Calvert Farms. The family farm was established in 1998 by Jeremy Calvert, who began farming while still in high school. He grew up on his parents’ poultry farm, but said he always preferred growing vegetables.
Calvert and his wife Julie started out selling wholesale but realized that they would need to do something different if they were going to make a living. They started going to the Walker County Farmers Market in 2003. They also started selling on the side of County Road 222 near their farm. In 2014, they built a produce stand just outside of Dodge City.
J. Calvert Farms grows a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year, starting with the aforementioned strawberries in the spring. As the season progresses, the farm adds squash, cucumbers, zucchini, peaches, plums, blackberries, onions, peppers, green beans, tomatoes, sweet corn, peas, okra, watermelons, cantaloupes and pumpkins.
Lots of locals know J. Calvert Farms as one of the main suppliers of strawberries for the Cullman Strawberry Festival. While it is not the only farm that supplies strawberries for the event, the Calverts try to bring as many as they can.
Julie Calvert said the farm has been participating in the Strawberry festival for seven or eight years. “We look forward to the festival each year as a sort of big kickoff of our season,” she said.
This year J. Calvert Farms will be selling at the Walker County Farmers Market, Cullman’s Festhalle Farmers Market and the Gardendale Farmers Market.
The farm has also branched out to other events. “We had our first fall festival last year,” said Julie Calvert. “We loved having the community come out and have fun at the farm stand.”
Keep up with what produce is available from J. Calvert Farms and where at www.facebook.com/j.calvertfarms and www.jcalvertfarms.com.
