The weather is causing a problem for farmers. We're told strawberry fields have been hit hard by the cold, dry weather. And its impacted a fun activity.
"But that, that’s not ready. And this one here, we wouldn’t have our guys pick that one because it’s still got a little bit of a light color there."
It’s taking a longer than usual for strawberries to ripen at Gould’s Produce in Brodheadsville. We’re told the problem started last year with the drought and the wacky winter weather didn’t help. But the low temperatures overnight recently really did them in.
Jamie Gould says, "They don’t grow right when it’s all-over-the-place with the warm and the super cold nights, and a bunch of cold nights so they just didn’t grow normal."
While they lost some of the crop due to those freezing nights, most of their plants made it. They ran water over them to protect the blossoms from the cold.
((Jamie)) Keeps the plant and the blossom at 32 degrees that it doesn’t freeze because if it goes below 30, like if it hits 28, that blossom is going to freeze and not make a berry.
While there aren’t as many strawberries as years past, Gould does believe they’ll be able to supply the stand every day starting today. Carol Dorshimer always looks forward to the sweet treat when she visits from Florida.
Dorshimer says, "We come in June every year so we can have strawberries."
But right now hundreds of people should also be enjoying a popular activity out in the fields. Unfortunately pick your own strawberries is not only delayed but on hold.
Gould says, "People want to come we want them to come but we also can’t or don’t want to have them to come if we don’t have enough berries."
The Gould’s don’t want to leave a bad taste in your mouth— especially as other farmers in the area have already canceled berry picking. They’re waiting to make a decision at the end of this week.
Gould says, "You got to take the small victories, the positives, you know you can’t always have just the negatives because we do have a crop, we are picking, the past two days we’re picking, we’re happy with what we’re getting now."
If you’re wondering about the annual tradition happening at Gould’s just check their Facebook page for updates. Making it a berry good day in Brodheadsville, Nicole Walters, News13.
