A tractor load of berry pickers returns after spending a summer's day in a strawberry field. Photo by Jeff Turl.
Local berry picking farms had a good season despite lots of rain this summer.
Strawberry season ended a couple of weeks ago, and even the raspberry season is starting to draw to a close.
“The rain was a real challenge, because people don’t come out to pick,” said Leisure Farms manager Mitch Deschatelets.
“Luckily we didn’t have too much heat, so we didn’t get a lot of spoilage,” he added.
Heat make the berries ripen too quickly says Deschatelets.
“Strawberries are really a cool season crop. Too much heat and lots of rain can be a disaster’, he explains.
Researchers have recently ranked the 50 best antioxidant sources among commonly eaten foods and found strawberries ranked 27th best among U.S. foods.
When only fruits were considered, strawberries came out 4th among all fruits, behind blackberries, cranberries, and raspberries.
Hazel Craig, 4, of Toronto chows down on a delicious strawberry picked fresh from the field. Photo by Jeff Turl.
Raspberries are still being picked locally, and the crop has been better than normal. That's because of the past winter that most of us would like to forget.
“We didn’t lose the snow, and snow prevents winter injury to the plants, says Deschatelets.”
Taking the spotlight now are the vegetables, and sweet corn.
Leisure Farms is also gearing up for autumn with a cornfield maze and haunted barn.
