Original newspaper article in the "High Plains Journal", May 10, 1982, by Doug Rich
The countryside is not all that turns green in the spring. The sidewalks in front of discount stores turn green with a wide variety of trees and shrubs for the do-it-yourself landscaper. Where does all of this greenery come from? A large percentage of these trees and shrubs originate on 80 acres of creek bottom east of Grove, Okla., in Delaware County. This is the location of the Honey Creek Nursery operated by Bill Berry and his family.
Berry says he got started in the nursery business after working at other types of agriculture and as a construction worker. Berry grew up on a farm three miles south of Grove, Okla., on Honey Creek. After graduating from high school he operated a Grade A dairy that he had established before moving to Tulsa and working as a construction crew foreman. During these years he maintained an interest in the family farm and ran a few cows n the home place. In 1967 he and his family moved back to Honey Creek to raise soybeans, beef, swine, and boysenberries.
Berry raised boysenberries for his brother who operates a large nursery near Tahlequah, Okla. "We ventured out from the berry business, which is a full-time job of its own, into the nursery business," says Berry. The nursery business is their primary source of income. "We started growing trees down on the creek but it soon outgrew that space." Their nursery stock is divided into 80% shade trees and 20% evergreens. There are over 20 different types of trees including Red Oak, Birch, Sweetgum, Tulip trees, and Pin Oak. "We try to keep a uniform assortment of trees that other nurseries want." Berry says there are 400,000 trees growing in the nursery right now.
According to Berry it takes $500 to $1,000 to plant one acre of nursery stock. He prepares the soil much like he would for any conventional crop and then tries to keep it as weed free as possible. After preparing a good seedbed for planting, Berry cultivates the trees two times a month and prunes and shapes the trees twice a year, "To keep the trees growing straight and tall" he says. "All trees and all evergreens requires different types of pruning." On shade trees they concentrate on keeping the bottom third branch free. This way the trees spend more time growing up than out. With evergreens it is mainly a process of shaping the trees. Here, Berry says they try to keep a nice pyramid shape for a full shaped tree.
Berry fertilizes his soil in accordance with soil tests. This means two applications of 13-13-13 granular fertilizer. He puts on 250 pounds of fertilizer early in the spring and follows this with another 150 pounds around the middle of June depending on the amount of rainfall they have received. He applies the fertilizer in bands down the rows. The rows are four feet wide for cultivation purposes.
Water is pulled out of Honey Creek to irrigate the berry plants but the Oklahoma farmer says trees are not irrigated. "Trees won't grow with irrigation when the temperature is over 100 degrees," he says. "You can keep them alive but not make them grow." Berry found this out the hard way two years ago.
Marketing of the trees also is split 80/20 between wholesale outlets and their retail outlet. During the digging season, which is any time from the last frost in October through April, Berry is busy loading trucks at his nursery for shipment to other nurseries ... "Retail nurseries will buy enough to last them through the summer," Berry says, "and some will carry trees until fall." During a normal year they will market between 20,000 and 30,000 shade trees and 5,000 to 10,000 evergreens. It takes two to four years of growth before the trees are ready to market.
Their retail outlet is located east of Grove. Berry's daughter, Michelle, and her husband, Chuck Perry, run the retail outlet. Michelle and Chuck also own a 190-acre farm and operate a cow-calf business. Chuck Perry is the resident landscaper for the retail store.
Last but not least are the boysenberries that started the whole business back in 1967. Berry still grows boysenberries and has added blackberries and dewberries to the list. "We produce about 500,000 plants every year and ship to retail nurseries and mail order forms all over the U.S.," says Berry. Raising berries is a very specialized type of agriculture that can provide a very good income if you have a ready market, says Berry. There is a lot of hand labor involved in production and harvesting of berries. Berry is still involved in more conventional types of agriculture.
He has 100 acres of wheat, 100 acres of milo, 100 acres of soybeans, 60 acres of green beans, and 145 head of mother cows. Included in this are 80 head of registered Limousin cattle... "We are trying to breed ourselves into the registered Limousin business," adds Berry.
They own four full-blood bulls and hope to get into the business of selling registered and percentage Limousin bulls.
Honey Creek Nursery is very much a family business. Berry's two daughters, Keli and Kim, handle the pruning chores and his sons, Shane and Shawn, cultivate the nursery stock and put up hay in the summertime.
His wife, Sandra, works in the retail store and is the head bookkeeper for the entire operation.
The Berry's are very active in their community and were named Delaware Farm Family of the year in 1978. Bill Berry is currently serving on the ASCS County Committee.
Berry says he got started in the nursery business after working at other types of agriculture and as a construction worker. Berry grew up on a farm three miles south of Grove, Okla., on Honey Creek. After graduating from high school he operated a Grade A dairy that he had established before moving to Tulsa and working as a construction crew foreman. During these years he maintained an interest in the family farm and ran a few cows n the home place. In 1967 he and his family moved back to Honey Creek to raise soybeans, beef, swine, and boysenberries.
Berry raised boysenberries for his brother who operates a large nursery near Tahlequah, Okla. "We ventured out from the berry business, which is a full-time job of its own, into the nursery business," says Berry. The nursery business is their primary source of income. "We started growing trees down on the creek but it soon outgrew that space." Their nursery stock is divided into 80% shade trees and 20% evergreens. There are over 20 different types of trees including Red Oak, Birch, Sweetgum, Tulip trees, and Pin Oak. "We try to keep a uniform assortment of trees that other nurseries want." Berry says there are 400,000 trees growing in the nursery right now.
According to Berry it takes $500 to $1,000 to plant one acre of nursery stock. He prepares the soil much like he would for any conventional crop and then tries to keep it as weed free as possible. After preparing a good seedbed for planting, Berry cultivates the trees two times a month and prunes and shapes the trees twice a year, "To keep the trees growing straight and tall" he says. "All trees and all evergreens requires different types of pruning." On shade trees they concentrate on keeping the bottom third branch free. This way the trees spend more time growing up than out. With evergreens it is mainly a process of shaping the trees. Here, Berry says they try to keep a nice pyramid shape for a full shaped tree.
Berry fertilizes his soil in accordance with soil tests. This means two applications of 13-13-13 granular fertilizer. He puts on 250 pounds of fertilizer early in the spring and follows this with another 150 pounds around the middle of June depending on the amount of rainfall they have received. He applies the fertilizer in bands down the rows. The rows are four feet wide for cultivation purposes.
Water is pulled out of Honey Creek to irrigate the berry plants but the Oklahoma farmer says trees are not irrigated. "Trees won't grow with irrigation when the temperature is over 100 degrees," he says. "You can keep them alive but not make them grow." Berry found this out the hard way two years ago.
Marketing of the trees also is split 80/20 between wholesale outlets and their retail outlet. During the digging season, which is any time from the last frost in October through April, Berry is busy loading trucks at his nursery for shipment to other nurseries ... "Retail nurseries will buy enough to last them through the summer," Berry says, "and some will carry trees until fall." During a normal year they will market between 20,000 and 30,000 shade trees and 5,000 to 10,000 evergreens. It takes two to four years of growth before the trees are ready to market.
Their retail outlet is located east of Grove. Berry's daughter, Michelle, and her husband, Chuck Perry, run the retail outlet. Michelle and Chuck also own a 190-acre farm and operate a cow-calf business. Chuck Perry is the resident landscaper for the retail store.
Last but not least are the boysenberries that started the whole business back in 1967. Berry still grows boysenberries and has added blackberries and dewberries to the list. "We produce about 500,000 plants every year and ship to retail nurseries and mail order forms all over the U.S.," says Berry. Raising berries is a very specialized type of agriculture that can provide a very good income if you have a ready market, says Berry. There is a lot of hand labor involved in production and harvesting of berries. Berry is still involved in more conventional types of agriculture.
He has 100 acres of wheat, 100 acres of milo, 100 acres of soybeans, 60 acres of green beans, and 145 head of mother cows. Included in this are 80 head of registered Limousin cattle... "We are trying to breed ourselves into the registered Limousin business," adds Berry.
They own four full-blood bulls and hope to get into the business of selling registered and percentage Limousin bulls.
Honey Creek Nursery is very much a family business. Berry's two daughters, Keli and Kim, handle the pruning chores and his sons, Shane and Shawn, cultivate the nursery stock and put up hay in the summertime.
His wife, Sandra, works in the retail store and is the head bookkeeper for the entire operation.
The Berry's are very active in their community and were named Delaware Farm Family of the year in 1978. Bill Berry is currently serving on the ASCS County Committee.