Strawberry Plant History
Strawberry History has been traced back as far as the Romans and maybe even the Greeks.
Mention of woodland strawberries have occured in writings by Ovid, Pliny, and Virgil.
It is difficult to trace strawberry history because it has never been a staple of agriculture.
By the 1300's however, the French were planting wild strawberries into their gardens and the strawberry plant was also used as a medicinal herb.
The strawberry became known as a common garden plant by the 1500's.
The parent plants of our modern day, commercial grown strawberry, were brought together in the 1760's, to the American Colonies.
Since that time, strawberries have been cultivated and many varieties have been produced.
Here in Columbia, we plant two varieties of strawberries.
We have the Chandler variety of strawberry, which is widely known for it's sweetness.
We also plant the very popular Camarosa strawberry, which is sure to please.
Both varieties are typical in the Southeast.
Cottle Strawberry Farm HistoryHer Story
This photo is of Joy Cottle at her Mom and Dad's Strawberry Field in 1966. The lady in the background (with her hands on her hips) is Joy's Grandmother. Her Grandmother seems to be checking out the picks of the day, while Joy seems to have gotten a very early start on Strawberry Field Managment.
The strawberry farm off of Bluff Road has been in operation for more than twenty years. A gentleman by the name of Mr. Marion Roddey was the first to open the strawberry farm to the public. When he retired, Mr. Ned Cottle decided to open and maintain the strawberry field, and did so for many years. His family has been growing strawberries for quite a long time. In fact, Mr. Cottle's first strawberry farm opened in 1963 in North Carolina, after learning the business from his father-in-law. Since retiring from farming in 2005, Ned's daughter, Joy Cottle has operated the farm here in Columbia. Joy enjoys growing sweet, juicy strawberries and they just happen to be her favorite food. She freezes the berries to have for snacks year-round.
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