1. Cierra Jones
April 22, 2014
Strawberry Fields Forever: Local Strawberry Festival
Cool, crisp wind carries the lingering laughter of the adventurous youth. The
gentle sun kindly flexes its rays upon the equally golden interstices that separate the rows
of vibrant red and green. Sounds of crackling earth can be heard as children run to collect
more of the rubies that fill their baskets. This scene is illustrative of the local Strawberry
Festival of small town of Grayson, GA; a city located about 70 miles west of Atlanta.
For many locals, this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Grayson Strawberry
Festival. At this celebration, locals can expect to indulge in the best that strawberries
have to offer. From food and desserts, to contests, to games, to strawberry picking, there
are enough activities to keep everyone of all ages busy! Unfortunately, there is indeed a
reason why this annual festival has been the pinnacle of celebration for only 10 years: the
“Boomer” of spring ’73.
So, just what exactly was the “Boomer” of spring ’73? Grayson resident Paul
Ritgerson, a native of the area for over 45 years, remembers the Boomer much like it
happened yesterday. “It was terrible, I was terrified,” Ritgerson stated, “I had never seen
such an extreme display of God’s power like that ever before!” The Boomer of spring ’73
was, in fact, an F-3 tornado that touched down on the soils of Grayson, GA and destroyed
much of everything it came in contact with – even the strawberry field. “I lived in that
strawberry field. My grandpa and I would always pick strawberries from it, even when
they weren’t ripe. It was something he loved and it had its affects on me as well,”
Ritgerson says. “It was never just the two of us out there. There were always other kids,
sometimes picking strawberries, sometimes not. We didn’t have a whole lot growing up,
so the strawberry field was like our club or playground.”
As if the reminiscence of his childhood in the strawberry field were not
sentimental enough, Ritgerson also goes on to explain why the Boomer, as he and his
childhood friends referred to the tornado, destroyed more than just property and a
strawberry field. “My grandpa had just passed not even 3 months before the Boomer
touched down. I felt like the tornado just took a lot away from me…but not only me –
everyone. We all loved the strawberry field.” For many years the strawberry field
remained destroyed, never to grow the sweet rubies that once meant so much more than a
satisfying delicacy to the residents of Grayson. This field was seemingly doomed forever,
no one could bask in its glory ever again.
On the morning of April 3, 2002, somewhat of a miracle occurred. An
experienced, full-time farmer named Kent Nash just so happened to be traveling down
the road where the sad remains of a strawberry field were shamefully broadcasted… or
were they? “I was driving through the area because I was new at the time. I just wanted to
take a look,” says Nash. It was the look that would bring life back into the strawberry
field. “I was a farmer,” says Nash, “I was driving through and I thought something
looked odd about the field. I got out of my truck and looked at it myself because I had
never seen such a thing.” A cluster of 3 large, bright red strawberries among a sea of
lifeless, pale verdancy. “It was almost too unbelievable. I didn’t wanna question how or
why because it was obviously something God wanted.” Nash could not stop there, he

2. wanted to cultivate the field so that the entire thing could produce the same miracles. “I
got permission from the county for the team an I to take care of the field,” says Nash,
“After we got our approval, there were so many times I wanted to give up because not a
damn thing was happening!” Nash and his team continued attempts to revive the field for
two summers. Finally, something amazing happened.
June 2003 proved to be a turning point for the strawberry field, it was now
beginning to flourish again. “That’s one thing my daddy taught me, ‘don’t give up on
your beliefs’. I knew I could do something with this strawberry field because he taught
me everything I know about farming and I believed in everything he taught me,” said
Nash. The next year, Grayson decided to celebrate the long-lost sensations while they
were still in season; they’ve been celebrating ever since. “I knew staying around here this
long was good for something,” Ritgerson laughs, “I was among the first to sign on to the
idea to celebrate the field. I’m glad other people liked the idea too. He goes on to state
how the young people of Grayson now get to relive his childhood for him and that he is
very grateful for Kent Nash for that reason. Paul Ritgerson wants anyone who ever visits
the strawberry festival to remember these words: “Learn of our history, learn to have
faith, and learn how to make strawberry pie!”