When Kristen and Trey Hoegenauer moved from their Richardson home of 20 years to a 7-acre farm in McKinney, they didn’t intend to open a pick-your-own-blackberry farm, but the idea grew on them.

“We always gardened and had blackberries growing along our garage [in Richardson],” Kristen Hoegenauer said. “We were trying to figure out how to be better stewards of the land, then we thought of blackberries–they're native to Texas and thrive in our high pH soil. We also love people, hospitality and welcoming people.”

The Hoegenauers started prepping the beds for thornless blackberries in 2021, planted them in 2022 and opened Sunset Trail Farm in 2023.

What’s happening?

Throughout the blackberry season, which typically starts in May and ends the second week of July, guests can pick blackberries, flowers and vegetables. Other activities include date nights, ladies' nights and more.


Kristen Hoegenauer said the business operates by reservation only to ensure guests have a great experience.

“We're fairly small, the road is narrow and parking is limited. We like to control the flow so everybody has a great experience,” she said. “We inventory the berries every several days, then we post the right number of reservations according to how many berries we have.”

Who it’s for

Kristen Hoegenauer said people’s experiences create various memories, some are familial.


“We've had thousands of people come here, and the No. 1 story I hear is, ‘I remember going to pick berries when I was young, and my grandmother would make a cobbler, and it was just the best time’,” she said. “People like to recreate that with their kids.”

Other experiences at the farm are romantic.

“We do sunset date nights because it is just gorgeous here,” Kristen Hoegenauer said. “People sit around and eat picnics and berry pick. We have romantic music, like oldies, playing all over the farm with speakers.”

People also visit the farm for more industrious reasons, she said.


“We have single women who come because they want to fill their freezer [with blackberries],” Kristen Hoegenauer said. “So they just come back over and over and over.”

Meet the farmer

Kristen Hoegenauer earned a science degree from Texas A&M and is a master gardener. She implements conservation practices throughout the farm and adheres to organic practices including soil fertility and pest control.

“We have ducks and chickens we let roam, they eat the fallen fruit and bugs,” she said. ”The more they eat the bugs and fruit and that kind of thing in our garden, then they produce healthier eggs and our compost becomes awesome fertilizer.”