By Maggie Edwards 

Honeybees weren’t the only things swarming around Sidney and Sheryl McKathan’s Pleasant Pastures Farm this spring. 

The Covington County beekeepers welcomed hundreds of community members to their Andalusia farm to pick Sweet Grown Alabama strawberries. It’s an experience they began planning for last fall. 

“After encouragement from family, we decided to plant strawberries in October — two weeks before they needed to go into the ground,” Sidney said. “We’d been wanting to open a U-pick farm in addition to raising bees, but we didn’t know how it would perform out here. We are a little off the beaten path. We made the jump and just tried it.” 

Agritourism has shown to be a success for Sidney and Sheryl. 

“Having people out to the farm is something we look forward to,” Sidney said. “We’ve had incredible community support. From field trips to families enjoying the U-pick, it’s been satisfying to see. We’ve worked so hard and put all of our effort into this. Seeing people in the field enjoying the delicious berries is special.” 

Diversifying the farm came with challenges, but taking the leap of faith turned out to be a sign from the Lord, Sheryl said. 

“Everything we faced, God made a way in the next breath to accomplish what needed to be done,” Sheryl said. “We agree the Lord wanted us to do this because it truly is the only way we could’ve gotten it done. We had family members and friends out in the fields helping us. It was all God’s grace.” 

Once Sidney and Sheryl decided to plant, it was off to the races with research and finding resources. That’s when they discovered neopestalotiopsis (Neo-P), a disease that negatively impacts strawberry plugs.

Because of Neo-P, the McKathans were encouraged to purchase bareroot plants from California, said Alabama Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA) Executive Director Blake Thaxton. 

“Retired Auburn University professor Dr. Jeff Sibley and staff from Alabama Extension were instrumental in helping find the best plants for their situation,” said Thaxton, also the Alabama Farmers Federation Bee & Honey Division director. “The threat of Neo-P has been tough on strawberry growers in Alabama this season. It’s a relief to see farmers able to pick good berries.”

More challenges came with preparing ground, laying plastic, fertilizing, irrigating and spraying, but connections with fellow Federation members helped, said Sidney, a Covington County Farmers Federation board member. 

“The strawberry community and AFVGA have been so good to us,” Sidney said. “We went to the AFVGA Annual Conference & Trade Show knowing nothing. We came out with so many contacts and people offering to help us. Everyone was so welcoming and encouraging.”

Sidney got his start in the Federation through the State Bee & Honey Commodity Committee. 

“I always wanted to be a farmer,” said Sidney, an Agricultural Leaders for Alabama (A.L.F.A. Leaders) Class VI member. “I didn’t know the possibilities. I honestly thought I could only raise row crops or be an ag teacher. I didn’t want to be a teacher, and row cropping just didn’t work for me.

He added, “I went to brainstorming ways to make a living in agriculture and found bees. Specialty crops have allowed us to get our foot in the door.”

He and Sheryl established Pleasant Pastures in 2019. Currently, they manage 200 colonies and sell honey retail and wholesale. 

The farm had to diversify to keep providing for the family, Sidney said. He and Sheryl have two children, Elish, 9, and Ashley Nix, 6. 

“It’s huge to have our kids on the farm,” Sidney said. “They want to plant the strawberries and be involved. They are learning work ethic at a young age. It’s teaching them they must work for what they get. There’s nothing more valuable.”

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