Farmer Kent, a third-generation strawberry grower, began his farming career at the tender age of nine on his family's farm in Fayette County, West Virginia. His deep-rooted connection to agriculture has flourished over the years, culminating in the diverse offerings of Sunset Berry Farm. Today, the farm not only produces premium West Virginia strawberries but has also expanded to include sunflowers, peaches, and a selection of freeze-dried produce introduced in 2024.
In response to a catastrophic freeze in 2021 that devastated their strawberry crops, Sunset Berry Farm innovatively planted two acres of sunflowers. This initiative not only compensated for the loss but also gave rise to the West Virginia Sunflower Festival, a beloved annual event every September that has become a major draw for the community and tourists alike. The farm's commitment to agritourism extends through the seasons with multiple festivals, including the Alderson Strawberry Festival each Saturday before Memorial Day, the Monroe County Peach Festival on Labor Day weekend, the West Virginia Watermelon Festival following Labor Day, and the Alderson Halloween Festival the Saturday before Halloween.
These festivals, along with the opportunity for visitors to pick their own strawberries, sunflowers, and peaches, position Sunset Berry Farm as a vibrant hub of agricultural tourism, offering a hands-on experience of West Virginia’s rich farming heritage and its community-centered spirit.
