Latest news with #berrypicking
CTV News
15 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
How is strawberry season shaping up?
CTV's Karis Mapp explains why strawberry fans may have to dig deep this year and why farmers are watching out for a fungal threat. Summer is here and some strawberry lovers are eager to head out into the field and get their pick of the juiciest berries. But this year, strawberry enthusiasts may have to work a little harder to find the delectable delight. Last week the team at Brantwood Farms in Brantford warned pickers that the crop was less than overwhelming. 'We were really keen on how many strawberries we thought we had, but when we went to pick them, we realized we didn't have as many as we thought we had,' Andrew Pate from Brantwood Farms said. In a social media post on June 20, Brantwood Farms wrote, 'Strawberry picking is VERY light. We have not had the heat needed for the strawberries to ripen.' However, their luck changed as a heatwave hit the area. 'Everything started to come on all at the same time, and now we can't pick them fast enough,' Pate told CTV News on Friday. Strawberry Brantwood Farms Strawberries sat in baskets at Brantwood Farms in Brantford, Ont. on June 27, 2025. (Karis Mapp/CTV News) 'We still have lots of strawberries out there. It does just take you a little bit longer to find them than some years we have in the past. But, we haven't had too many people not able to fill their baskets yet.' Some eager fans were out in the field searching for the best berries. 'You really have to dig deep,' strawberry picker Meghan Hill advised. 'You really have to look under the leaves and pick it from the bottom.' 'They're a bit on the small side,' fellow picker Justin Hale said. 'We have noticed that.' But Justin said it was all part of the fun. 'It's like a treasure hunt. Right?' he said. Strawberry Brantwood Farms Strawberries from Brantwood Farms were pictured on June 27, 2025. (Karis Mapp/CTV News) Keeping an eye on a fungal threat The weather is not the only factor farmers are closely watching. A fungal disease, Neopestalotiopsis, is threatening some strawberry crops across the country. 'The plants gradually start to wilt and they eventually die,' Youbin Zheng, professor at the University of Guelph, said. 'That's going to reduce your yields, and you may not have any harvest.' There is no known cure for the disease, and it can spread quickly from plant to plant. A fungicide can keep it at bay, but it can't eliminate it completely. 'If you have rain underneath the infected [plants] you can splash to another plant,' Zheng said. Strawberry Brantwood Farms Strawberries from Brantwood Farms were pictured on June 27, 2025. (Karis Mapp/CTV News) Neopestalotiopsis was first reported in Florida in 2017. Since then, it has been found in Mexico and Canada. The first recorded Canadian case was in Ontario in 2020. 'We are aware of it. We haven't found it in our field yet,' Pate said. 'We are scouting for it. We are worried about it. Haven't found it yet, which is a good thing.' With files from Daniel Otis and Karis Mapp.
CTV News
09-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
A timely start to strawberry season at Tincap Berry Farm near Brockville, Ont.
The strawberry picking season is underway in eastern Ontario. Tincap Berry Farm - just eight kilometres north of Brockville - sold its first batch of 2025 on Saturday. According to market manager Terri Dentz, it's a typical time to start the season and a nice change of pace from 2024 and 2023. 'Last year we started selling strawberries I think on May 28 or something,' says Dentz. 'So much, much earlier last year and the year before that.' The window to grow strawberries is limited in eastern Ontario's climate, but it's something Tincap is used to and it's why the farm is happy that this year's season started a bit later. 'Both of those years were really hard for us as producers to just manage the different weather conditions,' says Dentz. According to Environment Canada, Brockville's average temperature in May was 12.8 C - down from an average of 15.5 C in May 2024 - part of what allowed Tincap to start picking at its regular time. Starting to pick strawberries on May 28 compared to June 7 is a difference of just 11 days. In the grand scheme, it isn't a huge difference. But it does have an impact on the farm's day-to-day operation. 'That real extreme warmth brings the crop on early, but it means we have to do more frost protection, means we have to do more management.' Dentz says weather has been harder to predict in recent years, but the farm just has to adjust accordingly. Tincap Berry Farm also grows asparagus, raspberries, pumpkins and apples throughout the year. More details to come.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Strawberries, blueberries and more: Where to go berry-picking in Northeast Ohio 🍓🫐
Berry-picking season is nearly here and for those Northeast Ohio residents ready to pick their fruit, there are numerous opportunities throughout the region to do so. One such place is the Greenfield Berry Farm, owned and operated by Daniel Greenfield within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Peninsula. Specializing in blueberries and aronia berries, Greenfield reports a solid harvest this season. "It looks like it will be a typical year, with no major losses or any bumper crop," Greenfield said. Some farms, however, are reporting berries are behind schedule this season. Julie Renner, owner of Renner's Blueberry Knolls Farm in Sugar Creek Township, said blueberries have been slower to grow this year. With the impending arrival of blueberry-picking season in a few weeks, Greenfield recommends checking the farm's social media for the latest information on picking days and times. "We aren't open for regular hours, if we have an abundance of berries to be picked, we let people know picking will be available [for certain hours]," he said. "The best way to know what's going on is to follow us on Facebook." Here's a county-by-county breakdown of some pick-your-own fields and orchards, including season dates and berry selections: The Greenfield Berry Farm, 2485 Major Rd., Peninsula, 330-657-2924, greenfieldberryfarm@ Pick-your-own blueberries are available from the end of June through August. Pick-your-own aronia berries (chokeberries) are available from the end of July through August. Spring Hill Farm, 2054 Laramie Road NW, Carrollton, 330-627-2892, email: springvalleyfoods@ Blueberries usually begin to ripen by the second week of July. Sanor's Fruit Farm, 2514 state Route 172, Minerva, 330-894-2375. Strawberries, sour cherries, blueberries, apples, peaches, and grapes. This is a combined pick-your-own and pre-picked farm. Call for hours and days. Dillon Fruit Farm, 36108 Kelch Rd., Lisbon, 330-424-5169, Pick your own blueberries, raspberries, elderberries, and cherries. Visit Dillon Fruit Farm on Facebook for updates. Huffman Fruit Farm, 13075 Lisbon Road, Salem, 330-533-5700. Visit Huffman Fruit Farm on Facebook for updates. Strawberries, raspberries. Ellsworth Berry Farm, 5921 Gault Road, North Jackson, 330-538-3861. Pick your own blueberries and red raspberries. Call for weekly hours. Visit Ellsworth Berry Farm on Facebook for updates. White House Fruit Farm, 9249 state Route 62, Canfield, 330-533-4161, email admin@ Pick your own strawberries, blueberries. Visit White House Fruit Farm on Facebook for updates. Closed Sundays. Find the fields at 8652 Leffingwell Road. Walnut Drive Gardens, 2129 Randolph Road, Mogadore, 330-628-3213. Visit Walnut Drive Gardens Facebook page for updates. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries. Monroe's Orchard & Farm Market, 6313 Pioneer Trail, Hiram, 330-569-7464, info@ Pick-your-own fruits are strawberries (June), cherries (beginning of July). Visit Monroe's Orchard on Facebook for updates. During strawberry season, open daily at 8 a.m. All other seasons we open at a later time. Closing time varies; call 330.569.7464. Shari's Berries & Garden, 12210 Abbott Road, Hiram, 330-569-7882, shari@ Blackberries, red raspberries. Blossom Creek Farm, 3245 Battlesburg St. SE, East Sparta, 330-227-4641, berry@ Blackberries and blueberries, pick your own (buckets provided) and already picked. Blueberries are usually ready for picking in late June. Normal picking throughout the season, starting when berries are ready in the latter part of June through mid to late August, are 8 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Blackberries usually ripen around the last week of July. Availability and ripening may vary. Daily updates are posted at A 3% fee is charged for all card transactions at the farm. Visit Blossom Creek Farm on Facebook for updates. Renner's Blueberry Knolls Farm, 10597 Manchester Ave. SW, Sugar Creek Township, 330-440-3077, The farm's blueberry season runs from the last week of June through the first week of August. Visit Renner's Blueberry Knolls Farm on Facebook for updates. Pick your own (containers provided) or buy already picked. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Credit cards are not accepted. Sunny Slope Orchard, 14961 Millersburg Rd. SW, Tuscarawas Township, 330-833-9415, Visit Sunny Slope Orchard on Facebook for updates. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Pick-your-own strawberries season is in June. Call for details. Peaches are ready to pick in August. Wade's Fruit Farm, 12915 Warren Road, Paris Township, 330-862-3313, email FruitFarmer@ Visit Wade's Fruit Farm on Facebook for updates. The main fruits are pick-your-own blueberries and black raspberries. Other fruits and vegetables vary. Hours vary during the season, so call first. Harvest Barn, 420 Dutch Valley Drive NE, Sugarcreek; 330-852-6080, theharvestbarn@ Visit The Harvest Barn on Facebook for updates. Strawberries. Bauman Orchards, 161 Rittman Ave., Rittman, 330-925-6861, email office@ Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Visit the website or Facebook page for updates. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. Maurer Farm, 2901 Batdorf Road, Wooster, 330-264-2285, email Info@ Visit Maurer Farm on Facebook for updates. Strawberries. Moreland Fruit Farm, 1558 West Moreland Road, Wooster, 330-264-8735. Call for updates before going out. No credit or debit cards. Strawberries, red and black raspberries, blueberries, currants, blackberries. Rittman Orchards and Farm Market, 13548 Mount Eaton Road, Doylestown. 330-925-4152, email: info@ Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit Rittman Orchards on Facebook or for updates. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries. The Canton Repository reporter Janson McNair contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Where to pick strawberries, blueberries, more in NE Ohio this summer
