Dean and Judy Henry established the Berry Patch Farm in the early 1970s. With their son Mike, they produce a wide variety of perennial berries, tree fruit, and pumpkins. Berry Patch produce is available at markets, through local CSAs, and on the farm through u-pick or picked to order.
Something you're excited to try this year:
Day-neutral strawberries. We’ve always tried different methods of growing strawberries. Some work in our climate and some don’t. We had a terrible experience with day-neutral strawberries 2o years ago, but we’re going to try again. There are 2 or 3 new varieties, and we’re going to try growing them on plastic this year.
Something you would change about your industry:
I’ve always been kinda critical of people who mislead the public about the product they produce being perfect and being raised perfectly, but [in reality] the grower is really at the mercy of the environment. The industrialization of horticulture is a real threat to the home grower and the small farmer.
Favorite PFI memory
The social time at the dinners at the PFI annual conference and meeting other people in our type of farming, who share the things you like to do and think about.
"If you want someone with experience, you want someone who’s made a lot of mistakes. That’s how you learn."
- Dean Henry
