Brookedale Farm
Located in Keyser , WV , Brookedale Farm was established in the early ‘ 70s as Brookedale Holsteins Dairy Farm . When its founder , Donald Brooke , passed away in 1986 , the farm was left to his children , Donna and Bill Brooke , at the ages of 19 and 20 .
Bill and his son run the dairy farm while Donna , alongside her husband Donald , branched out into agritourism to launch Brookedale Farm as it is known today , featuring a corn maze , greenhouse and event venue that ’ s open year-round for weddings , showers and parties .
Visitors come from all over West Virginia and surrounding states , and the farm hosts school tours for local communities . Donna says she hopes to continue educating the public about agriculture in not only traditional ways but also with new and unique trends .
“ Sharing with folks who come to Brookedale where their food comes from is so important and often taken for granted so easily ,” Donna says .
Brookedale is also focusing on the next generation of farmers . Donna plans to transition some responsibilities to her son , including this fall ’ s corn maze . In exchange , she and her husband will narrow their focus to the event venue and greenhouse , thinking outside the box to stay relevant and unique to both industries .
“ There have been over a dozen other venues built since we built ours as well as many more greenhouses put up , so we try to differentiate our offerings , the landscape and especially the experience ,” she says .
Donna and Bill are on-site and completely involved with each event at Brookedale .
“ We get to know our customers and their needs . At the end of each event , they are not only customers but friends ,” she says .
Photos by Brookedale Farm .
Photo by The Muddlety Apple Orchard .
Photos by Sunset Berry Farm .
Sunset Berry Farm
Sunset Berry Farm launched in 2010 in Alderson , WV , with 500 strawberry plants . Today , its strawberry field is home to 50,000 plants , and the farm collaborates with the town to host the annual Alderson Strawberry Festival .
“ Our claim to fame is our award-winning strawberries , known for being the sweetest strawberries in West Virginia ,” says Gilkerson , who runs the farm with her husband , Kent .
The farm hosts between four and six festivals per year to highlight their favorite crops . Each festival features a kids ’ fun zone , performers and shopping from local businesses .
“ There is a huge tourism opportunity when you combine food and entertainment , and farms are beautifully positioned to take advantage of the booming tourism industry ,” Gilkerson says .
The farm also offers sunflowers , peach trees , watermelon — Gilkerson ’ s favorite fruit — and green beans . Gilkerson applied for grant funding to support the purchase of a green bean harvester so the farm can increase its production , accompanying a festival .
“ We are experiencing increasing costs of groceries while income levels in our state remain the lowest in the country ,” she says . “ With the addition of a green bean harvester , our goal is to grow green beans on a large scale and offer beans by the bushel at a very affordable price .”
Gilkerson is also working to develop a healthy , year-round snack option for West Virginians through freeze-dried fruits and veggie chips . The farm currently offers freeze-dried strawberries and cucumbers and are working to expand . It is able to ship these products throughout the state and hopes to soon have an online storefront with the ability to accept SNAP . Sunset Berry Farm was one of two farms in the nation to be awarded a 2024 Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant and was awarded a Specialty Crop Block Grant to support this initiative .
64 WEST VIRGINIA EXECUTIVE