yellow this and xanthum gum and I thought,‘ there’ s got to be a better way.’ So I blended up a pineapple and mixed it with some sugar and some water and cooked it down and got my syrup ratios right and now I do 100 % fruit shaved ice.”
Word of his all-natural concoctions got out. After a mention on a Dallas website claiming 250,000 followers,“ I had a line for shaved ice all the way out to the road.”
Today the homemade flavors are cooked up by Orrick’ s wife, Cameron, who depends on their daughters – ranging in ages from 5 to 11 – to serve as taste testers for each batch and recommend trendy new flavors. Cameron also keeps their Instagram page current.
Before long they added the barn, the picnic tables, and an assortment of games. Folks started to come out not only to pick berries, but just enjoy the breezy hill, the lack of cell phones, and the gourmet shaved ice, especially on a hot summer day. And when all the blueberries caught blight last year and had to be removed, the berry farm never blinked, as the Orricks quickly pivoted exclusively to blackberries, now growing 9 different varieties, all without thorns.
Finally, after years of building, planting and soul searching, Justin came to realize that“ family” was the most appealing part of the farm for him.
“ Having families out all together, being together, that’ s what’ s most important.”
He also came to realize that over the past decade, while he and his father were expanding the farm, they were widening their worlds as well. Today, not only does his life include his father but also a new life with a wonderful, accomplished wife, a blended family of four beautiful daughters and a dog named Professor Chubs.
The magic of the berry farm – and the love of family it inspires – had won the day.
18 GREENVILLE LIFE