Strawberry season blooms early in North Carolina

After an unusually warm beginning to spring, strawberry season has come early this year in Chapel Hill.

But even as local businesses and residents enjoy the early berry crop, some local farmers are unsure how the season will turn out for them.

North Carolina ranks fourth in the country in terms of strawberry production, and many farms have seen berries ripen earlier than usual this year.

Karen McAdams of McAdams Farm in Efland said that an earlier season does not necessarily mean a longer one.

She said strawberry seasons are usually around five weeks and seven weeks at the most.

Because of this uncertainty, it is hard for farmers to tell how the early bloom will affect revenue, which she said is determined by how many blooms the plants have and the temperature in the coming weeks.

“We’ll start picking next Monday,” she said.

McAdams said farms in North Carolina that are farther east and south usually start picking earlier, but most farms will be picking strawberries in about seven to 10 days.

David Oakley of Oakley Farm in Chapel Hill also echoed McAdams’ sentiments about the uncertainty of revenue, as well as uncertainty of demand.

He said that high temperatures can often cut the season down, which could in turn affect revenues.

“You won’t know until the end,” he said.

But University students will be reaping the benefits of the early strawberry season soon.

Scott Myers, director of food and vending for UNC, said Carolina Dining Services has not been buying strawberries yet because they aren’t currently available at a good price and quality.

But he said he expects to start getting strawberries later this week or next week, which is earlier than the expected late April date.

Myers said that they expect to use roughly 200 flats of strawberries during the last weeks of this semester, with 12 pints of strawberries per flat.

He said that when fruits such as strawberries come into season, they are added alongside the other fruits in the dining halls.

To help bring in clients, farmers around Chapel Hill have also worked to spread the word about their strawberries this year.

Oakley said that the farm uses their website and newsletter to draw in potential customers.

But he said word of mouth is the best way to spread news of strawberry season.

McAdams said McAdams Farm also uses their website to spread information about their berry crop, but they also have a sign by the road that counts down the weeks to ripe strawberries.

She said she thinks that the N.C. Strawberry Association — which offers features such as a strawberry farm locator on its website — has done a great job of spreading knowledge about the early strawberry season this year.

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