Calvin and Pearl Wrenn settled on what is currently known as Wrenn's Farm, after their marriage in the early 1920s. The land came from Pearl's father, the Murray family, and she and Calvin farmed tobacco during their lifetime and raised thirteen children in a three bedroom house, which still stands on the property today.
Fletcher Wrenn, their oldest son, left the farm to join the Merchant Marines in the 1950s. He traveled the world before 'coming home' to take over when his father, Calvin, passed away on the farm. Fletcher began running the farm along with his newly wedded wife, Rachel. They built hothouses in the 1960s and began transitioning the farm out of tobacco and into greenhouse and field produce. The transition out of tobacco was complete in the 1980s. The couple had one son, Mitchell, who grew up on the farm and decided early on he wanted to continue the family tradition of farming. Mitchell Wrenn started his own legacy by getting into the strawberry plug and plant growing business. He was an active board member of the NC Strawberry Association for many years, and helped other strawberry growers along the southeast with their farming businesses. Mitchell had a great impact on the industry, and his local community. He and his wife Tonya had two sons, Austin and Ethan. Austin Wrenn grew up knowing that he wanted to be a farmer. He and his little brother, Ethan, grew up working on the farm alongside Fletcher and Mitchell. Fletcher passed away in 2008, and Mitchell took over the operation. Eventually, Austin started in the agriculture program at NC State, and Ethan began working towards a forestry degree a few years later. Once graduation came around, Austin had an offer to work for an international greenhouse company, which he took in order to get industry experience. While he loved his work, he always wanted to go back home to be close to his family and live on his own farm. He had the chance a couple years later, around the same time Ethan graduated with his forestry degree. Austin had been in a serious relationship for several years, and he asked his girlfriend, Christina, if she would consider moving to the farm once she graduated to help the Wrenn's on the farm. She said yes to the farm, and then yes to Austin's wedding proposal a year later. They are now happily married. Since 2018, Austin has been a full-time farmer on the land that has been in his family for over 100 years. Christina works full-time on the farm and recruited her parents, Tom and Carla, to help manage the farm store and greenhouses. Ethan is now a nurse, along with working as the farm mechanic and fix-it man whenever he is not working his full-time job. The Wrenn family farms with the goal of keeping the land in the family for generations to come. Austin and Christina choose to focus on growing strawberries and cut flowers to meet the local demand for these specialty products. Growing these products is something they’re both passionate about, Austin and Christina love growing strawberries and cut flowers—combining Austin’s farming background with Christina’s love for flowers. Over the years, they’ve expanded the farm’s offerings, adding new flower varieties and fine-tuning growing techniques to produce the best crops possible. Farming is more than just a job to them—it’s a way of life. They love welcoming visitors to the farm, hosting seasonal events, and sharing their passion for agriculture with the community. Every day brings something new, but no matter the season, Austin and Christina are grateful to be working the same land the Wrenn family has farmed for over a century. |