Calling all blackberry lovers! Gurosik’s Berry Plantation is now inviting families to enjoy blackberry picking Saturdays on the farm while the summer sun shines bright.
Created in 1981, Gurosik’s Berry Plantation grow endless hybrid blackberry fields that feature the biggest and sweetest berries in the South – the kind that cannot be found anywhere else.
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Open on Tuesday to Saturday, at 345 Briggs Road in North Augusta, families can escape into the fragrant fields of the – cash only – Gurosik farm and enjoy the summer sun from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
During the summertime, the berry plantation allows customers to pick berries on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. for $16 a gallon until July 4, while the flower cutting and catfish pond are open all day until closing.
Owner Clyde Gurosik, who created the farm after retiring from thermo-nuclear engineering, said the plantation has always been an effort of love and dedication, and for him it has been worth every moment.
“Over 40 years ago, this land – every inch – was nothing but forest,” he said. “I cleared everything out myself and even slept in a tent out here for six months with a high-powered rifle to protect it … because back then there was no insurance for your building materials.”
Thanks to the help of several legal immigrants, Gurosik and his dedicated workers harvest and transport countless berries, squash, cucumbers, pickles, tomatoes and more to ensure customers get fresh produce.
Working from as early as 3 a.m. to as late as 9 or 10 p.m., Gurosik and his employees work in teams to pick thousands of pounds of fruits and vegetables every season throughout the farm’s 100 acres.
“We start every morning together with a prayer … all they want to do is work hard,” Gurosik said. “These are family men who just want to work and be able to travel back to see their families. I even have to tell them to take a break.”
With some of his employees having helped tend the farm for 20 years, Gurosik said he was proud to maintain a familial, Christian environment that allowed his men to provide for their families back home.
“[My workers] are like my extended family. They are my favorite part of the farm,” he said. “You’ll hear other places say they have migrant crews. I don’t have that – I have a family.”
However, for Gurosik, seeing customers’ families grow over the years and return to the plantation also often brightens his day.
“I’ve seen people bring their children here, and later those children come back when they’re all grown up and have babies of their own,” he said laughing. “I hope I’m still around to see a fourth generation of one family.”
First introduced to berry farming by his parents, who sharecropped a strawberry farm when he was very young, Gurosik said he wanted to create a plantation that provided the community with healthy and fresh food options using safe crop protections.
“There’s a lot of lies out there in the major stores,” he said. “They put out signs and false advertising about locally grown produce, but it actually comes from California or Peru … and in other countries they dip that stuff into harmful chemicals that the government here doesn’t check for.”
For regular customer Don Goggans, Gurosik’s farm has easily become a favorite for buying his fruits and vegetables as a result of nostalgia, good food and friendly staff.
“My grandparents were farmers, so this reminds me of what I grew up around and raising your own crops,” Goggans said. “I think it’s a great experience for children and adults. They have flowers and all types of fruits, and they’re really nice people.”
In addition to growing truly healthy crops, Gurosik said the plantation’s purpose is also about giving parents the ability to make unforgettable summer memories with their children.
“That’s why I do this. It’s doing something positive for the community,” he said. “I love seeing the kids out here – screaming and running around. They have an absolute blast out here.”
Further delighting children, Gurosik’s farm also features a flower picking and a pond filled to the brim with energetic catfish waiting to be fed by visiting families.
“This pond is like nothing you’ve ever seen before, and the children just love it,” Gurosik said. “I stocked it and created it for them …no one has fished in it for 30 years.”
With his flower fields showcasing several varieties of blooms, including zinnias, sunflowers and magnolias, in an array or oranges, yellows, pinks, purples and reds, Gurosik said he is oftentimes inspired by nature, and how flora and fauna work together “as God intended.”
“I like the variability of color God provides. Unlike people, even though these flowers are extremely diversified, they aren’t fighting,” he said. “If we could learn something from flowers, we’d all be better off.”
Thinking about the future of the berry plantation and attributing its success to hard work and the will of God, Gurosik said he was determined to continue the legacy of selling unmatchable fresh produce and being a great summer family memory.
“There’s a lot of people who want to buy this place and turn it into a golf course or turn it into a subdivision,” he said. “I cleared this land – that’s not going to happen. My legacy will be the farm going to people who understand, who appreciate it and who will continue to serve the community.”
For more information about the Gurosik Berry Plantation, visit: https://www.gurosiksberryplantation.com/
