Welcome To Our Farm
Sunset Berry Farm, located atop beautiful Flat Mountain in Alderson, West Virginia, was established by Kent and Jennifer Gilkerson as a means to generate income to make an extra house payment or two each year. The farm started in 2010 with 500 strawberry plants and has now grown to 50,000 plants with an expected yield of 50,000 pounds per season. To expand fruit offerings, the farm has added 100 peach trees, 15 pear trees and 4 apple trees. The farm also grows tomatoes in three high tunnels and additional vegetables in smaller quantities. In 2021 the farm began growing 2 acres of sunflowers in a successful attempt to rebound from strawberry crop failure. All total, the farm utilizes 15 of its 60 acres and continues to grow annually.
Farmer Kent started working on the family strawberry farm at age nine and is a third generation strawberry grower with roots in Fayette County, West Virginia. Farmer Kent is a part time farmer until 2025 when he is set to retire from his "real" job at the Alderson Federal Prison Camp for women, where he serves as the union president for Local 1494. Jennifer has little farming skills but, to the benefit of the farm, enjoys sales, marketing and program development.
Sunset Berry Farm is an agritourism destination, inviting families to enjoy special events at the farm. The WV Spring Festival/Easter Egg Hunt takes place the first two Saturdays in April. Alderson Strawberry Festival is always the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and spans from the memorial bridge in Alderson to the farm. The farm now starts celebrating a week early to allow guests to enjoy the strawberry festival for two Saturday's. This has become necessary due to the unpredictability of Mother Nature and allows festival goers the opportunity to choose the best day of optimal weather. WV Fairy Garden Festival happens the Saturday before July Fourth, featuring three contests for guests to participate in, flower pot fairy garden contest, a frog hop contest and costume contest. Guests also enjoy a family friendly scavenger hunt in the farm's fairy garden. West Virginia Sunflower Festival takes place the first two Saturdays in September, featuring a butterfly release, live performances by Lee Dean, food, WV craft vendors and "pick your own" peaches. Finally, the Alderson Pumpkin Festival marks the last festival of the season and the last chance for guests to compete in a frog hop contest