History / Agriculture
Poteet and the strawberry heritage of Atascosa County
Poteet in southern Atascosa County became a strawberry hub in the early 1900s. The town has held an annual festival since 1948 to celebrate that history.
Poteet's strawberry story starts with water. Around 1904, businessman Henry Mumme found artesian wells on land near the future town site. That water, combined with the area's sandy loam soil, was just right for growing strawberries. By the early 1900s, strawberries had become the town's main crop.
The Poteet Strawberry Festival started in 1948. The Poteet Rotary Club set it up to promote the local crop. It also aimed to get returning World War II veterans to try farming. The Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas calls Poteet the 'Strawberry Capital of Texas.'
The festival runs each spring. The Poteet Strawberry Festival Association organizes it. Money raised goes toward college scholarships for Atascosa County students. Check the official festival site for current dates, since they can shift year to year.
Source to confirm: TSHA Handbook — Poteet, Texas