Timber, cotton, corn and even soybeans are seen in farming operations across the area but a farming operation in Reeltown is bringing what seems like an unlikely crop to the area — kiwi.
In fact Southeast Kiwi Farming Cooperative is bringing the AU Golden Sunshine kiwi to the market through its operation, which is the only one around. Orchard manger Clint Wall and his business partners opened the farm (Wednesday) to more than 100 guests invited by the Alabama Extension System for a tour.
kAm“*@F H@F=5 92G6 E@ 8@ E@ E96 H6DE 4@2DE E@ 7:?5 8@=56? <:H:D[” (2== D2:5] “(6 2C6 E96 @?=J W72C>X 62DE @7 E96 #@4<:6D]”k^Am
kAm(2== 2?5 p=232>2 2C6 ?@ DEC2?86CD E@ <:H:D 2?5 3@E9 @H6 E96:C :?EC@5F4E:@?D E@ 6249 @E96C E@ “s@4]” s@4 :D sC] q:==J s@K:6C[ H9@ E9C@F89 E96 6IA6C:>6?E DE2E:@?D H:E9 pF3FC? &?:G6CD:EJ 2?5 E96 p=232>2 tIE6?D:@? $JDE6>[ :?EC@5F465 E96 4@>>@?=J 2G2:=23=6 8C66? <:H: E@ p=232>2 :? E96 `hg_D] s@K:6C 3682? H@C<:?8 H:E9 E96 8@=56? G2C:6E:6D H9:=6 (2== 2EE6?565 pF3FC?] k^Am
kAm(2== E@@< 2 =:<:?8 E@ E96 7CF:E 2?5 H@C<65 :? }6H +62=2?5 7@C 2 ?F>36C @7 J62CD 367@C6 C6EFC?:?8 E@ E96 DE2E6D E@ 36 4=@D6C E@ 72>:=J] k^Am
kAmq:==J 2?5 (2J?6 q2DD6EE[ H9@ @H? %2==2DD66\32D65 D@5 DFAA=:6C q64<’D %FC7[ =:46?D65 E96 D6G6C2= G2C:6E:6D @7 8@=56? <:H: 56G6=@A65 3J s@K:6C] %96 q2DD6EED 2?5 s@K:6C H6C6 ?@E DEC2?86CD 2E E96 E:>6 2D E96J’5 5@?6 3FD:?6DD 367@C6]k^Am
kAm“(6 925 =:46?D65 D@>6 496DE?FED 7C@> pF3FC? E92E s@K:6C 56G6=@A65[” q:==J q2DD6EE D2:5] “(6 8@E E@ E9:?<:?8 E9@F89 H6 4@F=5 5@ E9:D E@@]”k^Am
kAmq2DD6EE D2:5 $@FE962DE z:H: u2C>:?8 r@@A6C2E:G6 D2H 2 3:886C A@E6?E:2= :? <:H: E92? ;FDE D6==:?8 2 76H G:?6D 2?5 564:565 E@ 2EE6>AE 2 7F==\D42=6 @A6C2E:@?]k^Am
kAm“(6 8@E E@ =@@<:?8 2E AC@A6CE:6D[” q2DD6EE D2:5] “(6 H6C6 =@@<:?8 7C@> r=2?E@? 5@H? E@ %C@J 2?5 7@F?5 E9:D]”k^Am
kAm|@C6 E92? c_[___ <:H: G:?6D ?@H DEC6E49 24C@DD `fd 24C6D @7 AC@A6CEJ @?46 @44FA:65 3J 42EE=6 2?5 92J]k^Am
kAm%96 q2DD6EED[ s@K:6C 2?5 (2== 92G6 A2CE?6C65 H:E9 $F? !24:7:4 E@ 96=A E2<6 E96 8@=56? <:H: E@ >2C<6E] (2== D2:5 E96 4@>A2?J 92D 2 4:ECFD 3C2?5 >2?J 2C6 72>:=:2C H:E9 — rFE:6D[ 2 D>2== @C2?86 >2?J 49:=5C6? =:<6 — 3FE E96 4@>A2?J 92D :?E6C6DED :? E2<:?8 E96 #66=E@H?\8C@H? 7CF:E 6=D6H96C6] (2== D2:5 :7 E96 BF2=:EJ :D :? E96 7CF:E[ E96 36DE >2C<6E >:89E 36 :? y2A2?]k^Am
kAm%96 72C> 92D 366? :? @A6C2E:@? 7@C 7@FC J62CD 2?5 E9:D J62C E96J 2C6 D2>A=:?8 E96 >2C<6ED E@ D66 H96C6 :E >:89E 36DE 7:E 367@C6 2 7F==\D42=6 92CG6DE ?6IE J62C]k^Am
kAm(65?6D52J 8F6DED 8@E E@ =62C? 2 =:EE=6 23@FE E96 C2C6 7CF:E 2D s@K:6C 2?5 (2== 82G6 6G6CJ@?6 :?D:89ED :?E@ 8C@H:?8 E96 7CF:E 9@DE65 3J E96 %2==2A@@D2 r@F?EJ tIE6?D:@? $6CG:46] k^Am
kAms@K:6C D2:5 E96 H62E96C :? E96 2C62 :D 2=>@DE :562= E@ 8:G6 E96 7CF:E G:?6D E96 A6C764E >:I @7 4@=5 2?5 H2C>E9]k^Am
kAm“%96D6 ?665 23@FE g__ 9@FCD @7 49:== E:>6[” s@K:6C D2:5] “~E96CD ?665 >@C6]”k^Am
kAm(2== 5:DA=2J65 E96 6BF:A>6?E 96 2?5 @E96CD FD65 E@ :?DE2== E9@FD2?5D @7 A@DED[ 423=6D 2?5 2? :CC:82E:@? DJDE6> E@ >2<6 E96 AC@;64E H@C<] (2== D2:5 :E E2<6D E9C66 J62CD E@ 86E E96 7:CDE 7CF:E 2?5 E96 G:?6D DE2CE 2D D@>6E9:?8 36D:56D E96 pF3FC? 8@=56? G2C:6E:6D]k^Am
kAm“(6 DE2CE H:E9 2 8C66? W<:H:X C@@EDE@4<[” (2== D2:5] “p7E6C =6EE:?8 :E 8C@H 7@C 2 J62C 86EE:?8 2 8@@5 C@@E 32D6 H6 4FE :E @77] (6 E96? 8C27E EH@ @7 E96 p& 8@=56? G2C:6E:6D :? 2?5 DE2CE E@ EC2:? E96 G:?6D]”k^Am
kAm(2== D2:5 96 2?5 9:D E62> E:65 DEC:?8D E@ A@DED 23@G6 E96 EC6==:D DJDE6> E@ 8:G6 E96 G:?6D D@>6E9:?8 E@ 8C@H @? E96? 42>6 324< E@ C6>@G6 E96 DEC:?8D 2?5 2CC2?86 E96> @? E96 EC6==:D DJDE6>] k^Am
kAm(2== 2=D@ 6IA=2:?65 E96 C@HD 2C6 DE2886C65 3J >2=6 2?5 76>2=6 E@ 2==@H 7@C 36EE6C A@==:?2E:@? 3FE E96 >2=6 G:?6D 2C6 ?@E 2==@H65 E@ E2<6 @G6C >F49 @7 E96 EC6==:D 2D E96 76>2=6 G:?6D AC@5F46 E96 7CF:E] (2== E@=5 8F6DED E96 H:?5@H 7@C A@==:?2E:@? :D D>2==]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 23@FE 2 H66<[ >2J36 `_ 52JD[” (2== D2:5] “x 42? =@@< 2E E96 3=@@> 2?5 E6== :7 :E :D A@==:?2E65 @C :7 :E :D A2DE]”k^Am
kAm~?6 E9:?8 (2== H:== 5@ :7 :E 2AA62CD A@==:?2E:@? D66>D E@ 36 =24<:?8 :D 96=A E96 AC@46DD E9C@F89 2 4FDE@>\>256 A:646 @7 6BF:A>6?E 7C@> }6H +62=2?5]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 7C@K6? A@==6?[” (2== D2:5] “(6 H:== AFE :E :? 96C6 2?5 5C:G6 E9:D F?56C E96 G:?6D] %96 >249:?6 3=@HD E96 A@==6? FA E9C@F89 E96 G:?6D] xE 42? 36 E@F89 @? 2==6C8:6D E9@F89]”k^Am
kAm%96 6?E:C6 @A6C2E:@? :D :CC:82E65 7C@> EH@ A@?5D] ~?6 @7 H9:49 :D bf 24C6D 2?5 c_ 766E 566A 3FE E96 >@DE\?66565 E:>6 7@C H2E6C :D 5FC:?8 E96 H:?E6C E@ 96=A H:E9 7C66K6 AC@E64E:@? 5FC:?8 4C:E:42= E:>6D @7 E96 G:?6D’ 8C@HE9]k^Am
kAm“|@DE A6@A=6 92G6 2=2C>D D6E E@ e 2]>][ f[” (2== D2:5] “|:?6 :D D6E E@ bd 568C66Dj E92E :D H96? >:?6 8@6D @77] x E96? 4@>6 @FE 96C6 2?5 EFC? @? E96 DAC:?<=6CD H96? E96 E6>A6C2EFC6 9:ED bc 568C66D]”k^Am
kAm(2== D2:5 E96 :46\>2<:?8 AC@46DD @? E96 G:?6D AFED 962E :?E@ E96> H9:49 96=AD AC6G6?E 52>286 2?5 :E’D D@>6E9:?8 96 92D 2=C625J 925 E@ 5@ E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAm“(6 925 E@ CF? :E 7@C fa 9@FCD DEC2:89E 324< :? |2C49[” (2== D2:5] k^Am
kAm(2== D2:5 8@=56? <:H:D 8C@H? :? #66=E@H? H:== 36 8@@5 7@C E96 82A :? E96 DFAA=J 2D E96 <:H:D :? }6H +62=2?5 4@>6 @77 :? E96 @AA@D:E6 D62D@? 3642FD6 E96J 2C6 8C@H? :? E96 D@FE96C? 96>:DA96C6]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96 8@=56? <:H: >:89E 36 C625:=J <?@H? @? E96 @E96C D:56 @7 E96 H@C=5[ 8F6DED 6?;@J65 E96 E6?56C[ DH66E 7CF:E (65?6D52J :? #66=E@H? :?4=F5:?8 v2CC6EE w62E9 2 7:7E9\8C256 DEF56?E 7C@> $=2A@FE]k^Am
kAm“xE’D C62= 8@@5[” D2:5 w62E9[ =:4<:?8 9:D =:AD]k^Am
