CASTALIAN SPRINGS, Tenn. (WTVF) — Rain has hurt strawberry crops at Kelley’s Berry Farm, but it's expected to create a bountiful blueberry season.
"We’ve been trying to knock off some things on our summer bucket list, and strawberry picking was certainly up there," Tarah Webb said.
Her children played in the puddles as they picked strawberries.
"We were definitely good to wear boots today," Webb said.
James Kelley said rain has hit Kelley's Berry Farm hard.
“A couple weeks ago when the tornadoes came through, we had almost 8 inches of rain, and it’s really hurt them, a lot of the ripe ones out there had gone bad," Kelley said. "And even some of the green ones that are coming in, you can tell that they’re not doing great.”
It's cut-you-pick strawberry season short.
"A lot of time when the water sits on them, it will make one side go bad," Kelley said.
There are slim pickings, but it's not a total loss.
"There’s not too much you can do," Kelley said. "Just part of being a farmer."
With more rain forecasted, Kelley said it will benefit the blueberry and blackberry season.
"There’s a bunch of little green ones and it should just take a few more weeks," Kelley said.
As for Webb and her kids, they still gathered a good batch of strawberries.
"They were saying the rain this weekend will probably take them out,” Webb said. “We’re really excited we’re probably just going to eat these, I don’t think they’ll make it to the pie."
If you want to head out to Kelley's Berry Farm on Highway 231 past Lebanon for the holiday weekend, they recommend wearing boots and coming in the morning.
They expect blueberry season to be in full swing in a couple weeks.
There are still so many families in East Tennessee hurting following the floods from Hurricane Helene in September. That made this year's running of the Santa Train extra special for many families in the northeast part of the state. This special Santa Express has been making an annual run in part of Appalachia for over 80 years.
-Lelan Statom
