Mount Pleasant Magazine March/April 2018

45 www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestOfMP.com | www.MountPleasantMagazine.com feature I t’s probably safe to say that most people enjoy the sweet taste of fresh, juicy strawberries picked straight from the ground. However, there’s something different about biting into a strawberry that’s been growing in your own (local) backyard, and, for one man in particular, it’s become a true labor of love. Erik Hernandez, the Boone Hall Farms foreman, has been caring for the farm’s crops for 16 years now and loves every moment of it. “We’re out here 11 to 12 hours a day, six days a week, and it’s a physically demanding job, but the payoff happens as soon as we see the kids run to go pick their first berries of the season,” he beamed. Hernandez, who said he considers Boone Hall owner Willie McRae to be his mentor, leads a team of eight that takes to the 12 acres of strawberries starting in October of each year. Together they plant 130,000 plants by hand over the course of three to four days and tend to them throughout their various stages of development until the red berries are ready to be picked. With the unusually cold January – including an unprecedented snowstorm – Hernandez was especially watchful over the crops this season. “I’m not in charge of the crops; they are in charge of me. If it’s below freezing or a windy night, I’ll come out here at 2 or 3 a.m. to make sure all of the beds are properly covered. Otherwise the frost might kill them,” he explained. Thankfully, the snow did not kill the plants this season, and, in fact, combined with the protective plastic covering, instead acted as an insulator for the strawberries. One interesting result did arise from the unexpected weather. With the crops covered for protection and the weather much too cold for the honeybees to brave, fewer attempts at pollination were made than in previous years. Hernandez said not to worry, however. Charleston locals will still get the sweet and delicious strawberries they look forward to each year, and, with a cover crop of buckwheat, Hernandez and his team made sure the bees had everything they needed as well. You won’t have to look too far to find Boone Hall’s berries, which are of the Camino Real variety. With distribution at Harris Teeter, several local restaurants, the Boone Hall Farms Market and roadside produce stands, locals have plenty of opportunities to enjoy. Boone Hall Farms is more than the king of the crops – also known as strawberries. It’s a place to see the community come together each new season to experience, taste and enjoy more than 40 different types of produce on 120 acres of land. “For all of us here on the farm, it’s more than just selling or making a living. We enjoy it most when we see everyone else enjoying it, too,” said Hernandez. For him, this means seeing the families loading up their baskets with fresh U-Pick strawberries. His own son, 11-month-old Leo, will be among them for the first time this season. “He’ll definitely be out here with us to enjoy the berries come April and May, and I’m excited to see him experience it. That will truly be the reward for all of our hard work,” Herdandez concluded. By Krysta Chapman Photo courtesy of Boone Hall. Pick your own strawberries at this year’s Lowcountry Strawberry Festival, scheduled for April 19 through April 22. Tickets and information are available at www.boonehallplantation.com/special-events/ lowcountry-strawberry-festival/. A Local Labor of Love Strawberries from Boone Hall