The Favored Strawberry

About

What could be sweeter than a freshly picked strawberry? Scarlett and sumptuous, and grown on a crown of green, this masterpiece among plants begs to be savored.

Once a seasonal fruit, strawberries are desired and available year round, from sub tropical winter fields in the heart of central Florida, to sweeping ranches in a valley along the shores of Monterrey Bay, California.

They’re grown on the windy plains of Texas and in the dirt of old Carolina tobacco plantations—in the flint rock hillsides of Oklahoma and on “you-pick-em” farms in New Jersey, and lots of places in between.

The Favored Strawberry is a one-hour documentary, filmed in 8 states, including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina, Maryland and California. The story unfolds at farms, big and small, where strawberries are picked by hand, one by one, often by hard working immigrants chasing the American dream.

Produced by the Emmy Award winning team of Larry Foley and Dale Carpenter, the program is narrated by Academy Award winner Ray McKinnon. Journalism instructor Hayot Tuychiev is the Director of Photography. Associate Professor of Art Tom Hapgood is the film’s art director. James Greeson, Emeritus professor of music, composes an original musical score.

The Arkansas story features local strawberry grower David Dickey. The film follows Dickey through every step of his process, from plowing and planting, to harvest and sales at the farmer’s market on the historic Fayetteville Square.

There’s an old saying– “Doubtless, God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did.”

Wherever they’re grown, the best way to eat a strawberry is picked fresh from the vine. Or as soon off the truck as you can find them!