White Oak Farm offers blueberries, family traditions, and a taste of summer in Greenbrier County

By Hannah Yost, RealWV

RENICK, W.Va. — For many families in Greenbrier County, summer would not feel quite the same without a trip to White Oak Farm.

Tucked in Renick, the pick-your-own blueberry farm has become more than a place to fill a bucket. For years, it has been part of local family traditions — a place where children learn how to pick berries, parents slow down for a summer morning outdoors, and generations return to make new memories in the same rows.

For owners Anne and Max Robinson, that has always been part of the purpose.

“My husband and I were both avid gardeners,” Anne Robinson said. “It was his idea to have a blueberry farm.”

Anne said her family was from Greenbrier County, and Max agreed to move to the area. The couple bought the farm in 1993 and began preparing the soil almost immediately. By the fall of that same year, they had planted their first blueberry bushes.

Over the years, the farm became both a home and a livelihood.

“We raised our children here,” Anne said. “For many years, it’s been our family’s income.”

White Oak Farm was built from a love of gardening, but the Robinsons also wanted to share the experience of berry picking with others.

“We both enjoyed picking them, and we wanted to offer that to other families,” Anne said.

That vision has taken root. Anne said one of the most meaningful parts of running the farm has been watching children grow up picking blueberries there and later return with children of their own.

“We love providing a way for families to spend time together doing something together, productive, and having fun,” she said.

For first-time visitors, White Oak Farm is designed to be welcoming and easy to enjoy. The farm has mowed aisles, provides buckets for picking, and offers bags for customers to take berries home. Anne said they also help new customers understand how to pick and navigate the fields.

The farm can accommodate families with young children, people with strollers, and older visitors who may need a chair in the field.

“There’s something for all ages,” Anne said.

During blueberry season, days on the farm begin early. Anne said mornings are filled with farm chores, getting buckets ready for customers, harvesting vegetables and flowers, helping people get started, answering questions, checking customers out, and keeping up with mowing.

Long before customers arrive, the work begins in the off-season. In the winter, the blueberry bushes are pruned to help produce nice-sized berries. In the fall, mulch is spread between the rows, which Anne said helps reduce the need for chemicals.

Preparing the fields also includes putting up nets to protect the crop. Anne said that process takes a crew of about 12 people, who help spread the nets over the fields using high-tensile wires.

Running a seasonal farm business comes with challenges, and the biggest one is weather.

“Weather is the primary challenge,” Anne said.

This year, the farm experienced crop damage because of a freeze. Anne said every year brings uncertainty, from cold snaps to rain, heat, and whether people will be able to come out and pick.

“You never know from year to year,” she said. “Weather is a big variable.”

Through those challenges, the Robinsons have continued learning and adapting.

“We’ve learned as we’ve gone, learned from mistakes,” Anne said. “You learn by doing.”

Over the years, that has meant improving the way they handle netting and replacing some blueberry varieties that did not perform well.

Beyond the berries themselves, White Oak Farm represents the value of supporting local farms and food producers. Anne said there is peace of mind in knowing where food comes from, how it was produced, and being able to visit the farm and see the operation in person.

“I think it’s critical for keeping rural communities economically viable, and the food security of having local food is important,” she said.

For many customers, the farm has become a place they return to again and again. Anne remembered two women from Tennessee who first came to pick blueberries while visiting the area because their sons were attending the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. Even after their sons graduated, the women continued making the trip, staying in a hotel, and returning to White Oak Farm to pick berries.

Another favorite memory came from a father who told Anne his family had given their daughter several summer experiences, including summer camp and a trip to an amusement park. But the girl’s favorite activity was coming to the farm to pick blueberries.

Stories like that are part of what makes White Oak Farm special.

The berries themselves are easy to enjoy long after picking day. Anne said blueberries freeze well and can be sorted, placed in freezer bags, and rinsed under cool water in a colander when ready to use. One of the Robinson’s favorite ways to use frozen blueberries is in smoothies with bananas, milk or yogurt, and sweetener.

“It’s a good ice cream alternative,” Anne said.

For those planning a visit, White Oak Farm is expected to open in late June, though visitors should check the farm’s website for picking conditions and updated information before going.

When Anne thinks about what she hopes people take away from a visit, her answer is simple: good berries and a good memory.

“I hope they take away delicious blueberries, and a fun day spent enjoying nature and a good summer experience,” she said.

For Greenbrier County, White Oak Farm has offered that experience for years — a place where summer feels slower, sweeter, and rooted in the simple joy of picking blueberries together.