Strawberries Are Being Picked (Not U-Pick) at Abbotts Farms

From Abbotts Farms in Lysander:

The strawberries are in!!

First of the season!
 

We are FINALLY picking the first strawberries of the season. They will be for sale in the farm store, and at the regional market tomorrow Saturday.

We will pick EVERY ripe berry we have today and it's my good guess we won't get over 10 flats. The average u-picker will get about one flat worth of strawberries. So if we opened u-pick today 10 people would leave very happy, and everyone else would have to go home empty handed.

We are still waiting to start u pick. I am guessing we will have berries enough to let y'all pick by mid next week. Keep checking in for more info.

It's Strawberry Time!!!

Hey everyone.

It's strawberry season. Get out and get them before they're gone.

You got about a month to six weeks to get really good berries in NYS. It's best to call your local grower to see if the strawberries are ready to be picked and what the field conditions are.

For more information about Onondaga County berries and where to go them, go to http://wsyr.iheart.com/features/onondaga-grown-837/articles/15/492978/berry-good-news-strawberries-are-here-14798258/

Strawberries are running about a week later in Oswego County and in southern Onondaga. 

In Oswego County, it’s best to call your local farm to see if U-pick is open.
 
At Ferlito’s on County Route 53 in the town of Scriba, Angelo “Pete” Ferlito said U-pick should begin about June 17.
 
“They’re looking good — the heat’s got them ripening,” he said. “We’ve already picked a few for sale.”
 
Ferlito’s has about eight acres of berries in a bunch of different locations in Scriba and Volney. Call them at 343-7159 for information on strawberry availability and field conditions.
 
Roberta Godfrey of Godfrey’s Last Stand on Route 264 just outside Phoenix offers both U-pick and some strawberries that are already picked. They are open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day. Call 593-7291 to see if berries are available for picking.
 
Eric Behling at Behling Orchards on Flavor Road in Mexico said berry picking should begin his week. Hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day.
 
Last season was one of the worst for strawberries ever. In June — just when the berries are getting bigger and plumper and riper — was filled with rain, so the berries were sitting in puddles most of the time. All this wetness increases the chance of disease that can harm or kill the berries.
 
The weather was also so bad it kept a lot of pickers home and away from the fields.

It's National Pick Strawberries Day

Photo taken at Ferlito's stand in Oswego County two years ago

It's National Pick Strawberries Day.

I guess this day was actually selected for states much farther south of New York, because berries don't come into season here until about the third week of June.

But anyway, the National Calendar Day website states today, May 20, is National Pick Strawberries Day.

It is the day to celebrate this sweet and tasty fruit that is great for all sorts of uses -- including eating fresh.

According to the website, here are some tips about strawberries:

• Strawberries are members of the rose family
• Strawberries are the only fruit with their seeds on the outside
• Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C
• Strawberries are low-fat, low in calories and a good source of fiber, folic acid and potassium
• Strawberries help can help fight bad cholesterol and may reduce inflammation
• The first strawberries were grown in France in the late 18th century. Prior to the 18th century, wild strawberries were collected and commonly used as a fruit source.

So remember to get out to many of the local fields next month and pick some fresh, locally grown strawberries.