Why can't the farm market carry strawberries in the summer or fall? I can find them in grocery stores at that time.
Grocery and big-box stores carry strawberries from California and Florida, which have different growing seasons. Our strawberries are grown on our farms in Dallas and Iron Station, NC. As seasonal fruit available only in the spring, we cannot grow, harvest, or carry strawberries in the hot months of summer or in the fall.
Are you cash only?
No, we now accept cash, checks, credit, and debit cards through Square. We do not accept EBT.
Why do your fruits and veggies taste so much better than the ones in grocery stores?
SSSHHHH….Don’t tell anyone, but here’s the secret to our great-tasting vegetables… we choose varieties that our family loves to eat. Just like there are eleventy billion varieties of apples, there are eleventy billion varieties of all fruits and veggies. Big box stores need varieties that were bred to be picked green, to have low juice content, and to last a long time. You know, for the big trip from California to your local Kroger. That's why you can bounce one of those strawberries off the floor and its fine. On the other hand, we continually refine our variety choices every year based on what our family thinks are the tastiest. The result? Juicy, red strawberries and sweet blackberries that even picky toddlers can't stop scarfing!
Is everyone who works at the market related to the Lineberger family?
Five Linebergers work full time on the farm, Patsy, Harold, Barry, Ethan, and Frankie. We hire for the spring and fall seasons from outside the family, although family members do pitch in to help a good deal during really busy times, at farmer's markets, and if we're short-staffed. Lee-Ann is Harold and Patsy's daughter and bakes delicious cakes, makes homemade ice cream, and creates other yummy snacks for the market.
What's the best way to know about seasonal fruit and veggies at the market?
The best way to keep updated about seasonal produce is through our Facebook page. Be sure to like it!
Do you allow dogs on the farm?
We grow food, and according to health department rules, dogs cannot visit farms that grow food. This includes the farm market, too. Also, we have two playgrounds which are enjoyed by thousands of children a year, and must be kept free of dog feces. Of course, we allow recognized service animals.
Why do you bother to still grow strawberries the old fashioned way?
We are the only farm in NC still growing strawberries on straw (you know, like strawberry). Everyone else grows solely plasticulture strawberries, which means the ground is covered in plastic every year. But all that plastic ends up in the landfill, whereas the straw biodegrades. Sure, the strawberries grown on straw are smaller, but they also use less pesticides and are sweeter. Sometimes the old ways are worth keeping.
Does it cost anything to just play on the playgrounds?
The grounds are free to our customers. You can bring your children to play on the playgrounds any time during normal business hours (check Facebook for that info). Please remember that we spend a lot of time and money creating and maintaining the play areas. We love when people show their support of our farm by making purchases in the store. We ask that you please leave before closing in the evening as then the farm is the Lineberger family's home place.
Is your produce "organic"?
No, we are not certified organic. We do not believe that natural pesticides are necessarily safer than synthetic ones. Hear us out... this is something we have researched EXTENSIVELY. As in, we have 3 degrees related to the subject, and have the science to back us up. For example, one of the worst mistakes in the history of US agriculture was the use of arsenic as a pesticide. Arsenic is naturally occurring... AND toxic to mammals in low doses. Now, arsenic has been illegal to use a pesticide in the US for decades, so don't panic about that. But the point of our story is, that's an example of why natural is not necessarily safer. (Yup, organic farms use pesticides. They just have to be naturally occurring).
Ok, you're not organic. What are you doing to promote sustainability?
We are building our soil naturally, with compost instead of relying solely on synthetic fertilizers.
All the leaves the Town of Dallas collects from your yard in the fall... that ends up in our soil... and eventually full circle into your blackberry!
We weed by hand... A LOT. Just ask Patsy.
We are using beneficial insects (good bugs) like predator mites to eat the bad bugs (mites) that eat the strawberries.
For June bugs in peaches and muscadines, we are setting traps. A sweet smelling drifts on the breeze to attract them... and BAM! Muscadines saved for me to eat instead!
There's more information on all this under "About Us" and "Sustainability".
I saw you have chickens for kids of all ages to feed and watch. What happens to the chickens at the end of the season?
Lineberger's is a working farm. That means, the chickens work here too, by supplying children and adults with a farm experience as they're observed scratching, pecking, eating produce, or being fed by kids. If the chickens we purchase are good laying chickens, they are fed after the season and eggs are gathered to eat (not sold in the market). If the chickens are meat chickens, then we butcher and eat them. This is all part of farm life.
Grocery and big-box stores carry strawberries from California and Florida, which have different growing seasons. Our strawberries are grown on our farms in Dallas and Iron Station, NC. As seasonal fruit available only in the spring, we cannot grow, harvest, or carry strawberries in the hot months of summer or in the fall.
Are you cash only?
No, we now accept cash, checks, credit, and debit cards through Square. We do not accept EBT.
Why do your fruits and veggies taste so much better than the ones in grocery stores?
SSSHHHH….Don’t tell anyone, but here’s the secret to our great-tasting vegetables… we choose varieties that our family loves to eat. Just like there are eleventy billion varieties of apples, there are eleventy billion varieties of all fruits and veggies. Big box stores need varieties that were bred to be picked green, to have low juice content, and to last a long time. You know, for the big trip from California to your local Kroger. That's why you can bounce one of those strawberries off the floor and its fine. On the other hand, we continually refine our variety choices every year based on what our family thinks are the tastiest. The result? Juicy, red strawberries and sweet blackberries that even picky toddlers can't stop scarfing!
Is everyone who works at the market related to the Lineberger family?
Five Linebergers work full time on the farm, Patsy, Harold, Barry, Ethan, and Frankie. We hire for the spring and fall seasons from outside the family, although family members do pitch in to help a good deal during really busy times, at farmer's markets, and if we're short-staffed. Lee-Ann is Harold and Patsy's daughter and bakes delicious cakes, makes homemade ice cream, and creates other yummy snacks for the market.
What's the best way to know about seasonal fruit and veggies at the market?
The best way to keep updated about seasonal produce is through our Facebook page. Be sure to like it!
Do you allow dogs on the farm?
We grow food, and according to health department rules, dogs cannot visit farms that grow food. This includes the farm market, too. Also, we have two playgrounds which are enjoyed by thousands of children a year, and must be kept free of dog feces. Of course, we allow recognized service animals.
Why do you bother to still grow strawberries the old fashioned way?
We are the only farm in NC still growing strawberries on straw (you know, like strawberry). Everyone else grows solely plasticulture strawberries, which means the ground is covered in plastic every year. But all that plastic ends up in the landfill, whereas the straw biodegrades. Sure, the strawberries grown on straw are smaller, but they also use less pesticides and are sweeter. Sometimes the old ways are worth keeping.
Does it cost anything to just play on the playgrounds?
The grounds are free to our customers. You can bring your children to play on the playgrounds any time during normal business hours (check Facebook for that info). Please remember that we spend a lot of time and money creating and maintaining the play areas. We love when people show their support of our farm by making purchases in the store. We ask that you please leave before closing in the evening as then the farm is the Lineberger family's home place.
Is your produce "organic"?
No, we are not certified organic. We do not believe that natural pesticides are necessarily safer than synthetic ones. Hear us out... this is something we have researched EXTENSIVELY. As in, we have 3 degrees related to the subject, and have the science to back us up. For example, one of the worst mistakes in the history of US agriculture was the use of arsenic as a pesticide. Arsenic is naturally occurring... AND toxic to mammals in low doses. Now, arsenic has been illegal to use a pesticide in the US for decades, so don't panic about that. But the point of our story is, that's an example of why natural is not necessarily safer. (Yup, organic farms use pesticides. They just have to be naturally occurring).
Ok, you're not organic. What are you doing to promote sustainability?
We are building our soil naturally, with compost instead of relying solely on synthetic fertilizers.
All the leaves the Town of Dallas collects from your yard in the fall... that ends up in our soil... and eventually full circle into your blackberry!
We weed by hand... A LOT. Just ask Patsy.
We are using beneficial insects (good bugs) like predator mites to eat the bad bugs (mites) that eat the strawberries.
For June bugs in peaches and muscadines, we are setting traps. A sweet smelling drifts on the breeze to attract them... and BAM! Muscadines saved for me to eat instead!
There's more information on all this under "About Us" and "Sustainability".
I saw you have chickens for kids of all ages to feed and watch. What happens to the chickens at the end of the season?
Lineberger's is a working farm. That means, the chickens work here too, by supplying children and adults with a farm experience as they're observed scratching, pecking, eating produce, or being fed by kids. If the chickens we purchase are good laying chickens, they are fed after the season and eggs are gathered to eat (not sold in the market). If the chickens are meat chickens, then we butcher and eat them. This is all part of farm life.
