Remembering a Berry Industry Leader, Innovator, and Friend
March 23, 2021 
Berry industry icon/grower Dr. Ervin Lineberger passed away recently. Among his many accomplishments, he could make any variety a success.
Photo by John R. Clark
Dr. Ervin Lineberger passed in early January due to COVID-19, but he leaves behind a tremendous legacy in the berry industry. Every time we talked, I could sense an enthusiasm for whatever he had on his mind. He inspired me to think about how to address whatever challenge or opportunity might lie ahead. That was exceptionally valuable to me as a university researcher.
Ervin and his wife Debbie purchased Killdeer Farm, near Kings Mountain, NC (just west of Charlotte), in the early 1980s from his brother, Harold. They converted the farm from a peach/strawberry operation to a berry/grape operation.
Over the years, their operation included a range of berry crops, an evolution of marketing strategies, and a multitude of satisfied customers. Further, Ervin was a grower who seemed to do things “right” as far as his decisions and growing techniques, and thus he had substantial success in growing a range of crops.
INDUSTRY LEADER
Folks came from far and wide to pick Ervin’s brain, so many at times that Debbie had to steer them away so he could get back to farming. I remember one of the first times I heard his name was from my accomplished colleague Dr. Jim Ballington at North Carolina State University. Jim told me I had to get over to Kings Mountain and see what this fellow was doing with ‘Kiowa’ blackberry, that it was unbelievable the success he was having. ‘Kiowa’ was released in 1996 from Arkansas, and it produced very large berries. Ervin’s success included not only large berries, but high yields and top quality. He could make any variety a success!
Not long after we got to know each other, I inquired a little about his background and how he got into berry farming. He said he grew up on a farm, but then he went on to attain three degrees including a doctorate in education. He explained that he left a dean’s position at Catawba Valley Technical College to head back to farming. I was really struck by this story.
My history was that I left the dairy farm back in Mississippi to go to college to get away from the farm in pursuit of an “easy” check in academia, and here was a fellow that left the “easy” check and went back to farming! I really quizzed him on that decision. But it did not take long to understand the passion he had for farming and what he truly wanted to do in life. All of us in the berry industry benefited from that decision.
Fifteen or more years ago, old friend Stanley Scarborough with Sunnyridge Farm (a Florida-based berry marketing firm) and I were driving around South Georgia visiting Sunnyridge’s expanding fresh-market blackberry production area. Stanley said, “This is going pretty good, but we want to keep the season going longer after Georgia completes harvest. What can we do?” I said I would keep going north into the Carolinas, and potentially on up into Appalachia until domestic production was not needed.
Primocane blackberry development was coming along, and I envisioned both floricane and primocane varieties could combine to carry production until frost. One of the first people Stanley went to see was Ervin. He knew that Ervin was one of several accomplished specialty crop growers in North Carolina, and likely if he could get him interested in growing and marketing with Sunnyridge, others would join the production effort. That happened, and this contributed to the expansion of blackberries in North Carolina. I believe this opportunity was particularly valuable to Ervin and Debbie as it allowed more wholesale marketing and a reduction in some of the challenges with operating a retail and pick-your-own operation. Blackberry production for the wholesale market has since become very important in the Carolinas.
INNOVATOR
Another day I was visiting his farm and he showed me his excellent crop of ‘Sunbelt’ grapes. This is a juice-grape variety from Arkansas, and I was puzzled why he was growing it. He said he sold it for fresh consumption, and it was easy to market and was very profitable. He sold all he could produce for a good price. I told him we had a group of very nice seedless varieties, and he subsequently planted these. But I am not sure he ever did better with the seedless varieties compared to ‘Sunbelt’. That highlighted what could be achieved by doing an excellent job of growing plus innovative marketing. Ervin was very talented at spotting these opportunities.
Dr. Ervin Lineberger was a tremendous leader in his community, state, and nationally. His service to the caneberry industry was tremendous, as well as in strawberries and muscadine grapes. He was focused on the cutting-edge of seedless muscadine development and was leading an effort to bring this native southern fruit to a much wider audience. That will happen, and we will remember the foundational effort he put forth in this industry expansion.
FRIEND
Enthusiasm and inspiration are valuable to us all, and someone who shares these traits helps us all get to the next step in life. Those who came in contact with Ervin got a big dose of both. We will all cherish these memories as we think of our friend, berry industry leader, and innovator, Dr. Ervin Lineberger. Let the berry good times roll!
Author’s Note: Ervin was a guest on the Southern Fruitcast in July 2020 and you can hear his views and enthusiasm on a range of subjects at SouthernFruitCast.podbean.com.
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