Grown Here at Home: Motley’s Strawberry Farm in Gretna is a destination for pick-your-own season

GRETNA, Va. (WDBJ) - Motley’s Strawberry Farm started in 1992 when owner Kevin Motley planted a small strawberry patch after graduating from college. The patch produced more than his family could use.

“I decided to plant a few strawberries, and I planted more than we could handle. We were giving them to all our neighbors and friends,” Motley said. “And one of my neighbors, she really strongly encouraged me to start selling them.”

Motley began selling strawberries the following year. Customers picked all the berries. He planted more. They picked those too. The operation has grown to more than three acres.

“We found out it was a lot of other people’s favorite fruit too,” Motley said.

The farm draws customers from Danville, Lynchburg, Roanoke and Halifax. Some visitors have come from as far as Christiansburg and Covington.

“You just never know where somebody is going to be from when they’ll walk up and say, Hey, I drove two-and-a-half hours to get here today,” Motley said. “It’s pretty neat. You really wouldn’t think that people would go that far, but it’s a humbling thing to know people want to come that far to get your product.”

Motley said his favorite part of the business is seeing families with young children.

“My favorite part is to see a family with little kids, say two to six years old. And they come up to pay for the strawberries, and the kids have strawberry juice dripping off their chin and their shirt is completely red all the way to the bottom,” Motley said. “Their moms say we should probably weigh the kids too for the sales. That’s my favorite part. I can’t trade that for anything in strawberry season.”

Pick your own season is underway at Motley’s Strawberry Farm. The farm is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The farm is closed Sunday.

The farm is located at 240 Steele Road in Gretna. Updates are available on the farm’s Facebook page.