Being located close to the beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast, it is probably no surprise that hurricanes have determined the direction of our lives.  We owned a thriving business on Pensacola Beach from the early 1980s until Hurricane Opal washed it out to sea in October, 1995.

My husband, a farmer (and, might I add, a stubborn old cuss who thinks we can do anything ourselves), and I decided to go back to his roots and farm full time.  Life was good!  We strictly did horse hay, had an established customer base, and all the facilities and equipment we needed.

Enter Hurricane Ivan, which hit our farm dead center in the wee morning hours of September 16, 2004.  Around midnight, we retreated to a specifically built secure room with the dog and cat.  In the darkest hours, as the winds roared, we wondered what we would see when dawn came.

First, we found our horses hunkered down in an open area of their pasture, safe!  We saw our farm shop, the old dairy barn - a 3,000 square foot concrete building built in the 1950s - buckled, a huge pecan tree uprooted and lying on part of our house, fences down, hundreds of trees torn from the ground and our pristine hay meadows hidden under thousands of tree limbs.

What else could we expect from 130 MPH winds?  Our spirit was not bent, all the while knowing there was NO WAY things would be “back to normal” for years.  All fall and winter was spent piling mountains of debris to be burned.  When spring arrived, we were baling again and with that season of renewal, we decided to undertake a positive challenge.

“Let’s plant a fruit tree orchard and rebuild the old dairy barn into a certified commercial kitchen!”

Now more than a decade later, the trees bear lots of fruit, the kitchen is an impressive masterpiece, and I am proud to say, “We did it ourselves!”

Just as the seasons dictate life and the harvest, Ber’s Preserves is and will always be a work in progress creating savory new offerings!