Holland Bottom Farm reflects on 20 years of Strawberry Fest
Every spring, the city of Cabot, Arkansas, bursts into life with the vibrant hues and delightful scents of its cherished Strawberry Festival. This beloved event not only celebrates the high-quality strawberries grown at local farms like Holland Bottom Farm, The Cabot Patch, and Barnhill Orchards, but also supports the community in significant ways. Serving as the primary fundraiser for the Junior Auxiliary of Cabot, the festival plays a crucial role in funding important service projects.
Local growers, including the Odom family of Holland Bottom Farm, generously donate their finest strawberries to the festival. These are transformed into delicious jams and lemonades by the dedicated volunteers of the Junior Auxiliary. The sales from these treats are instrumental in supporting initiatives such as the Lunchbox Connection, which provides meals to 200-300 children during school vacations, and the Christmas Blessing project, delivering holiday cheer to families in need.
Samantha Haynes, president of the Junior Auxiliary, is proud of the festival’s impact. “We are 12 ladies, volunteers, who put this festival on this weekend. Last year, there was, between the three days, over 22,000 (visitors). So, if we can keep mother nature in check, we expect at least that many.”
The festival has been a staple in Cabot for more than 20 years, originally started by Larry Odom, the founder of Holland Bottom Farm. Tim Odom, who took over the farm in 2016 after his father’s death, noted that although it was initially a you-pick strawberry farm, it has since stopped allowing customers to pick their own strawberries. However, it remains renowned for producing what many consider the best strawberries in the world. “They say we’ve got the best strawberries,” Tim Odom said. “I’m glad they’re saying it. I think so too, but I don’t advertise it myself. I just let the customers do it.”
Today, the Junior Auxiliary oversees the festival which features an array of vendors, exciting carnival rides, and live entertainment. Last year alone, the festival raised more than $30,000. “I think it’s all three of the farmers that really make it the staple,” Haynes explained. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, people love to come out and they love to see the street vendors and the carnival, but really, what makes it is having the strawberries there because these strawberries are like no other that I’ve ever had.”
Leslie Odom, who runs Holland Bottom Farm with her husband Tim, worked as a full-time nurse and helped run the farm until “it just got to be too much for two full-time jobs,” she said. “This was the one that seemed to be where I landed… I’ve still got my nursing license. I still miss it, but at the same time, I’ve got a full-time career here. It’s a whole different ballgame.”
Leslie Odom, who runs Holland Bottom Farm with her husband Tim, worked as a full-time nurse and helped run the farm until “it just got to be too much for two full-time jobs,” she said. “This was the one that seemed to be where I landed… I’ve still got my nursing license. I still miss it, but at the same time, I’ve got a full-time career here. It’s a whole different ballgame.”
Tim Odom grew up working on farms. “We were in the middle of the crop, and of course, my father got sick, so I just kept on doing what I know how to do,” he said. “And here we are, nine years later. It’s what I’ve been doing all my life, so it’s nothing new to me. I started when I was 6.”
With 24 acres of strawberry farm, Holland Bottom Farm has adapted over the years to meet their customers’ needs by adding cash lanes and a drive-thru capability, Leslie Odom said. This year, the farm introduced a new treat—handmade strawberry ice cream, crafted from juice squeezed from freshly picked strawberries. The Odoms also sell a variety of other produce, including purple cauliflower, yellow squash, okra, tomatoes, zucchini, blackberries, and watermelon, sourced either from their farm or trusted local growers.
“You gotta take pride in what you do and take pride in what you put out there,” she said. “And that’s pretty much the motto, I guess you could say. If we didn’t like it, we wouldn’t do it.”
Even though spring is a busy season for Holland Bottom Farm, they still put effort into helping with the Strawberry Festival every year because the community is important to them, Leslie Odom said. “We like helping the community and actually like being able to help the kids,” she said. “It’s based more toward the people in the community, not necessarily the politics of the community. It’s more community-based, and it goes more to the kids and the people. That’s kind of why we like it.”
The Strawberry Festival is more than just an event; it’s a vital part of the community fabric of Cabot, Arkansas. This weekend, head to City Hall on 2nd Street to experience this exceptional celebration. Admission is free, with festivities starting Friday evening from 6-9 p.m. featuring a performance by Jettway Performance, and continuing through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., including a live performance by the Zac Dunlap Band starting at 7 p.m.
Featured Place
Holland Bottom Farm, LLC
1255 Bill Foster Memorial Hwy W
Cabot, Arkansas 72023
(501) 259-9986
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