Tammy Frericks loved her first experience picking strawberries so much, she started her own U-Pick strawberry business, Strawberries Galore and More near Albany.

Frericks got the idea when a friend asked if she wanted to go strawberry “farming.”

“What’s that?” She asked.

“Strawberry picking…in New Munich,” was the reply.

The trip to the strawberry patch started early one morning.

“You have to get there right away before they get picked out,” she said. “There was a line of cars and a lot of people. We were there picking strawberries and I thought, ‘What a concept!’”

Tammy enjoyed the experience, but found herself with a lot of strawberries once she returned home. What could she do with all these berries?

Her mom, Ise, suggested making jam. She arrived at Tammy’s house the next weekend with a new canner Ice gifted to her daughter. The two processed the berries making many jars of strawberry jam. Some were given to aunts who raved over the delicious spreads.

The whole process from picking to jam making got Tammy thinking. She shared her thoughts with her husband, Steve.

“I told Steve if we get land out of town, I want to open a strawberry patch,” she said. “It was a dream because I thought it was interesting and then we came across this land…”

They found a parcel - 16 acres plus farmhouse and shed - The price had just dropped on a 16 acre parcel complete with farmhouse and shed. The land had once been rented from the  dairy farm so the soil would be great for plants.

The two looked at the property one Sunday afternoon and had six hours to decide if they would buy it.

“I told Steve this was meant to be and that this is a sign from my mom (who passed away in 2016),” Tammy said.

They bought it in 2017.

Tammy is a gardener, but there were things to learn about strawberries especially a patch that would be part of a U-pick operation. Tammy and her husband, Steve, attended workshops as they gained information on berries.

“We had so much to learn from raising corn and soybeans to raising a specialty crop that’s so different,” she said. “It was a learning curve for me and my husband. It was way more labor intense. We also got a grant from the Natural Resources and Conservation Service to build our two high tunnels.”

One of the high tunnels is where they raise fall raspberries and another has the garden vegetables.

They also made changes to the property. They burned the old farmhouse in what was a training exercise for the Albany Fire Department where Steve is a volunteer firefighter. In its stead, they built a new home and put new siding on the shed to match the house.

Planting started in 2019 as they put in two acres of strawberries and a half acre of asparagus.

While Tammy learned how to make jams with her mom, she learned about pressure canning from her aunt Liz. Those skills, along with a love of gardening, make a strong foundation for Strawberries Galore and More.

Their children - twin girls Hailey and Kallie, both 21 and finishing college, and son Bryce, a junior at Albany High School - embraced living in the country. They have been active in 4-H and FFA and also have taken part in the operation. Not only have they helped with the weeding and caring for the plants, they have taken on ventures of their own.

Hailey learned about bees from local beekeeper Joe Soenneker. Jars of honey from her bees are labeled Hailey’s Honey. It is sold along with jars of strawberry, raspberry, and strawberry/rhubarb jam plus Jalapeño jelly at the farm. Gift boxes are available with jars of strawberry and raspberry jam, Hailey’s honey and jalapeño jelly. The boxes are popular with businesses, she said.

“We have companies call to purchase our gift boxes - we had one ask for 150 jars of jams for their volunteers,” she said. “It’s very humbling that people choose us.”

Kallie has Kallie’s Kernels which is sweet corn grown on the farm. Bryce focuses on Bryce’s pumpkins. Besides sales of his pumpkins and squashes on the farm, Bryce also sells through stands at a few towns in the area.

“This isn’t their dream, this is mine, but the team work makes the dream work,” Tammy said. “In life, when they need our help, we are here. We are a pretty close family.”

Besides the jams, Tammy also sells pickled asparagus and dilly beans she cans herself.

They will be processing the jams and pickled asparagus at a local commercial kitchen and are looking to have their own commercial kitchen on the farm someday.

At the start of their venture, Tammy sold strawberries and garden produce at farmers markets, but the time spent in picking and preparing the fruits and vegetables then setting up, selling and taking down the stand at the market added up. She decided to focus on sales through the farm.

During the berry picking season, friends and family help with parking and guiding customers to the berry patch. Jars of jams and honey are on display with in season vegetables for purchase.

They rotate the strawberry patches every three to five years, she said. Asparagus can grow for over 20 years in the same patch. They may keep that spot as it’s an ideal spot for picking, she said.

Tammy is thankful to the community of friends and family who help make the farm-based operation possible.

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“It’s nice to have the support of the community,” she said. “And when you see the little ones picking strawberries with their family and they have strawberries all over their face, well that’s one of the best things. They are gaining a love of agriculture. It’s important that we have that.”

And the customers that come back every year, become like family. She recalls one mother from South Dakota whose son has a medical condition where he has a limited amount of foods he can eat. Strawberries Galore and More grows a variety of strawberry that agrees with his system. That family purchases the strawberries and processes them for use in his meals.

Strawberry growers, those with similar U-pick operations, are a great resource and helpful, she said. If there is a question or problem, growers are there to help one another.

Tammy grew up in Pine River where her grandfather and uncle owned the local meat market. She recalls helping with the business.

“I have been around agriculture all my life,” she said.

She met Steve while attending Ridgewater College in Willmar. Steve works for the Farm Service Administration in Waite Park.

“My husband has been a rock for me,” she said. “We have learned from this. We work as a good team.”

To learn more about the U-pick schedule and how to preserve the berries, check out the website at strawberriesgaloreandmore.com.

And their Facebook page with the same name - Strawberries Galore and More. That page will inform you when the berries are ready for picking.

Here’s a recipe Tammy’s mom Ise made from her strawberries. Enjoy!