GALLATIN, Tenn. – Settled on 71 acres of farmland in Gallatin, Oak Grove Farms has been growing something unique to Tennessee – pineapples.

 “To our knowledge, these are the first commercially grown pineapples in Tennessee,” said farm owner Zach Erhard.

Established in 2012 by first-generation farmers Zach and Kyndle Erhard, Oak Grove Farms cultivates various fruits and vegetables, with a focus now on pineapples. Sugarloaf pineapples, to be exact. 

“We love pineapples, and we thought if they can be grown in Hawaii, why not Tennessee? My wife and I first tasted Sugarloaf pineapples when we were in Kauai, Hawaii a few years ago and we both thought they were the best, sweetest tasting pineapples we had ever eaten.  We were hooked immediately. We said when we returned to Tennessee we were going to look into growing this variety of pineapple. And honestly, they’re a pretty low-maintenance crop.”

Upon their return from Hawaii the couple implemented Hawaiian techniques and planted their first crop of pineapples, knowing all along it would take a few years to reap the rewards.

 “We love trying new things and experimenting,” Zach said.

Sugarloaf pineapples were planted by the Erhards in June 2023. Their first harvest occurred at the end of this summer and samples were given at the couple’s farm market on West Main Street in Gallatin.

Erhard said it takes pineapples 24 to 28 months for the plants to grow to maturity.

“We’ve hyped people up to say we’ve got pineapples,” Zach said. “We’re so excited for the community. It’s just something different and a unique thing. Yes, there were skeptics. More so than anything, people asked us ‘why pineapples in Tennessee?’ They all told us we couldn’t grow pineapples in this state, but you can grow just about anything in a greenhouse environment.

 “We grew 4,000 pineapples in our first greenhouse, grew another 4,000 in our second greenhouse and we just planted another 2,500 pineapples in a third greenhouse. We’ve been harvesting some pineapples from that first greenhouse.”

There are 18 greenhouses on his property at this time, with another six to be added next spring.

 The core of a typical pineapple is the tough, fibrous, dark yellow circle that runs through the center of the tropical fruit. Those grown by the Erhards are not as fibrous.

 “It is unlike any other pineapple that you’ve ever had,” Kyndle said.

 “You can eat the entire thing,” Zach said. “The Smooth Cayenne variety is the one found in most grocery stores. We offer the Sugarloaf variety, which is a much sweeter taste and is less fibrous. And pineapples you get from Hawaii or Costa Rica are already 7-10 days old. They’re picked green and won’t have the flavor that ours does. We’re more direct to the consumer.”

 Erhard agrees with most that growing pineapples in Tennessee is highly improbable without significant intervention and climate control. The state’s climate simply isn’t conducive to the sustained warmth and humidity these tropical fruits require. Pineapples thrive in consistently warm temperatures (between 65-85 degrees), high humidity and plenty of sunlight. Crucially, they are extremely frost-sensitive.

 “Pineapples cannot grow outdoors in Tennessee, as the winters are too cold and there’s not enough sunshine,” Erhard said. “This is where the greenhouses come into play, and we’ve proven it can work.”

 Pineapples are adapted to well-draining, acidic soil. While Tennessee soils can vary, many are clay-based and don’t provide the optimal drainage needed for pineapple roots.

 “We make up for that in our climate-controlled greenhouses, beginning with the soil,” Erhard said.

 Pineapples are certainly a novelty in this area, but Erhard believes there’s much potential.

 “We’re sure they’ll catch on as we’ve already had people drive four to five hours from other states to get here and purchase them,” he said. “Right now we have a supply and demand issue, as we have more people who want them than pineapples available for them. We’re hoping to solve that issue.”