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 card, debit card, and EBT. We do ask that you spend at least $10 if using a credit or debit card as they have high processing fees.
What do you grow other than strawberries?
We are primarily a fruit farm so we focus on strawberries, blackberries, peaches, blueberries, muscadines, and pumpkins. We also grow smaller amounts of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, melons, peppers, and beans.
What can we U-pick?
Our main U-pick crops are strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, muscadines and pumpkins. We also plant a U-pick sunflower field every year, which is a great location for photos. Depending on the year, we also offer U-pick greens, zinnias, and veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and beans). Give us a call or shoot us an email to know what you can pick at the moment.
Why do your fruits and veggies taste so much better than the ones in grocery stores?
Sshhhh... 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 thousands of apple varieties, there are thousands of varieties for 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 so they can survive the long trip from California to your local Walmart. That's why you can bounce one of those strawberries on the floor and it will still be fine. On the other hand, we continually refine our variety choices every year based on our family's favorites. The result? Juicy, red strawberries and sweet blackberries that even picky toddlers can't stop eating!
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. Aaron, who married into the Lineberger family, is another full time farm employee. We hire for the spring and fall seasons from outside the family, although family members pitch in to help during 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 fruit themed 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. We do 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 the farm then becomes the Lineberger's home.
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. 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. Arsenic has now been illegal to use as a pesticide in the US for decades, so don't panic about that. But the point is that natural isn't always safer because organic farms can still use pesticides as long as they are naturally occurring.
Ok, you're not organic. What are you doing to promote sustainability?
We build our soil naturally using compost and leaves collected from the town of Dallas, which also reduces the amount of chemical fertilizers that we have to apply. We use beneficial insects to decrease the number of pests that would otherwise damage our fruit. We also set june bug traps to save our peaches and muscadines and limit the amount of pesticides we spray. For more information, shoot us an email or look at our "Sustainability" page under "About Us."
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. The chickens also work by providing 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 for the farmers to eat. 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 card, debit card, and EBT. We do ask that you spend at least $10 if using a credit or debit card as they have high processing fees.
What do you grow other than strawberries?
We are primarily a fruit farm so we focus on strawberries, blackberries, peaches, blueberries, muscadines, and pumpkins. We also grow smaller amounts of tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, melons, peppers, and beans.
What can we U-pick?
Our main U-pick crops are strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, muscadines and pumpkins. We also plant a U-pick sunflower field every year, which is a great location for photos. Depending on the year, we also offer U-pick greens, zinnias, and veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and beans). Give us a call or shoot us an email to know what you can pick at the moment.
Why do your fruits and veggies taste so much better than the ones in grocery stores?
Sshhhh... 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 thousands of apple varieties, there are thousands of varieties for 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 so they can survive the long trip from California to your local Walmart. That's why you can bounce one of those strawberries on the floor and it will still be fine. On the other hand, we continually refine our variety choices every year based on our family's favorites. The result? Juicy, red strawberries and sweet blackberries that even picky toddlers can't stop eating!
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. Aaron, who married into the Lineberger family, is another full time farm employee. We hire for the spring and fall seasons from outside the family, although family members pitch in to help during 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 fruit themed 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. We do 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 the farm then becomes the Lineberger's home.
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. 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. Arsenic has now been illegal to use as a pesticide in the US for decades, so don't panic about that. But the point is that natural isn't always safer because organic farms can still use pesticides as long as they are naturally occurring.
Ok, you're not organic. What are you doing to promote sustainability?
We build our soil naturally using compost and leaves collected from the town of Dallas, which also reduces the amount of chemical fertilizers that we have to apply. We use beneficial insects to decrease the number of pests that would otherwise damage our fruit. We also set june bug traps to save our peaches and muscadines and limit the amount of pesticides we spray. For more information, shoot us an email or look at our "Sustainability" page under "About Us."
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. The chickens also work by providing 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 for the farmers to eat. If the chickens are meat chickens, then we butcher and eat them. This is all part of farm life.
