From Pine River in the North, to Altona and Winkler in the South, from Minnedosa and Brandon in the West, to Hadashville in the East, the Manitoba fresh berry crops are ripening, according to the Prairie Fruit Growers Association.
They say due to differences in local weather, growing conditions and varieties, not all fruit will be ready to pick at the same time. For example, it is quite possible that some strawberry growers will be ready to start picking the July 1st weekend, while others may not open until July 5th to 10th. The association says customers should:
1) Visit www.pfga.com for up to date status for all types of fruit.
2) On the day they are wanting to go pick, customers should always double check with the farm to make sure they are still open. Local weather events or large volumes of customers can sometimes result in the farm having to change it’s plans and close last minute.
The organization has released estimated dates as to when fresh fruit will start to be ready for picking. Below is a list with various fruit, the estimated start date for picking, and the duration for picking.
– Haskap / Honeyberry, June 30 – July 10, 3-4 weeks
– Strawberry, July 1 – 10, 3-4 weeks
– Saskatoon, July 7 – 14, 2-3 weeks
– Raspberries, July 10 – 18, 2-3 weeks
– Sour Cherries, July 10 – 18, 2-3 weeks
Despite the cooler temperatures this spring, and fruit crops slightly later to harvest, most growers are really encouraged by how their crops are looking.
“The last couple of years, especially for strawberry growers, have been tough with the weather, but growers are very optimistic and hoping for bountiful crops.” Says the Prairie Fruit Growers Association’s Vice President, Sam Connery-Nichol.
The PFGA would like to give a special thanks to the Manitoba Chamber of Commerce Digital Manitoba Grant program which allowed the association to upgrade their website to a more user friendly site for both farmers and consumers.
The PFGA website has farm contact information, as well as recipes and other interesting information – www.pfga.com
