Nestled between Manvel and Alvin lies Froberg Farm, which spans 250 acres and has been in the Froberg family since 1936. The family has been harvesting strawberries since moving to Alvin in 1894, and great-great-grandson Tyler Froberg is proudly continuing that tradition.

Froberg spends 360 days of the year working on the farm with his wife Kristi, and a small group of employees. About 18 months ago, Froberg’s uncle decided to retire from the farm after 40 years and sell it to Froberg, who was more than ready to take on ownership.

“We work seven days a week ... but you also never work a day if you love it, and we truly, truly love what we do,” Froberg said.

What they offer

Froberg’s Farm serves many purposes for its surrounding communities. For one, the farm has a grocery store on-site that sells fresh fruits and vegetables in an area that some would consider a food desert. The farm is also known for allowing guests to pick their own strawberries and for hosting a large fall festival.

In the fall, Froberg said the farm will see 100,000 people travel to see pig races, a corn maze and a pumpkin patch, and then another 50,000 people come to pick strawberries in the spring. He said visitors can taste the difference between Froberg’s strawberries and store-bought ones.

“Flavor and taste are a depiction of nutritional value, and when you pick a strawberry, fresh off the vine that's ripened right there on the plant, and take a bite of it, and you could taste the difference, then I am led to believe that's more nutritionally dense,” he said. “Flavor comes from minerals and carbohydrates, so if there's more of those present, the fruit is going to be more tasty.”

Froberg said his grandfather opened the grocery store for the community, as there weren't any other grocers nearby. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)
Froberg said his grandfather opened the grocery store for the community, as there weren't any other grocery stores nearby. (Roo Moody/Community Impact)

One more thing

While strawberries are a large part of the farm, and are included on the farm’s logo, Froberg said the Christmas Tree Farm is his favorite.

For the past few years, Froberg has allocated 40 acres of the farm to grow and sell Christmas trees. However, these are not the normal Christmas trees visitors might expect to purchase, he said.

Froberg said he sells a variety of Cypress trees for two main reasons: they don’t shed needles, and they are hypoallergenic.

Around 2,000 trees are planted each year with the goal of selling at least 1,500. He said the trees go on sale during Black Friday weekend and typically sell out in three days if the weather is nice.

“It's my favorite because it's very intimate,” Froberg said. “Me and my family stay up there and we talk to every single customer that comes through; we get to meet every single person, we get to see every single tree as it leaves.”