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BETTER LATE THAN NEVER FOR WIS. BERRIES
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011 -- 1:08 pm
Posted by Riley Hebert-News Director
It’s time for a most joyful summer ritual: the annual trip to the strawberry patch.
"The season started in southern Wisconsin within the last week and it's moving up across the state kind of like the fall colors do in the fall," says John Lutz, President of the Wisconsin Berry Growers Association. "(The fall colors) move from north to south, we move from south to north."
While we’re just starting to get into the season in Central Wisconsin, southern producers are about at the halfway point. That’s about a week to ten days later than normal, because of the cool, wet weather.
Lutz says a trip to the berry patch is a great family tradition for many people.
"The young people get an opportunity to see where their food comes from, the older people come out because they used to pick berries someplace and it reminds them of when they were younger," he says.
The WBGA has around 100 members statewide. Most are in the “pick your own” business. Wisconsin’s climate doesn’t lend itself to large-scale berry production.
If you’re a berry enthusiast, now’s the time to get out in the field—the season is a short one.
"Strawberries last around three weeks. The season, I would say, will be ending around the 4th of July, but many growers will be going into the middle of July, depending on their location," Lutz notes.
If you’re looking for a berry patch in your area, you can visit their website at www.wiberries.org.
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