Strawberry season is underway across Wisconsin, but local growers say getting to harvest time has not been easy.
From late spring frosts to recent rainfall, farmers have spent months working to protect their crops from unpredictable weather conditions.
At Stroik’s Lake Dubay Berry Farm near Mosinee, owner Tim Stroik said this year’s growing season started with several consecutive days of frost that threatened strawberry blossoms.
“So far it’s been a tough year beginning with the frost we had,” says Stroik. “We’ve had nine days in a row of frost that we were protecting our strawberries for.”
While some farms across the region have experienced crop damage from winter injury and weather-related challenges, Stroik said his farm’s strawberry crop has remained in good shape.
“I heard of some other farms that are struggling because of winter injury and stuff like that,” he says. “So we might get that influx of people coming here.”
The farm recently opened for pick-your-own strawberry season, and growers are encouraging community members to support local berry farms throughout the area.
“People want berries. It’s been too long,” says Amy Stroik, his wife and co-owner. “The weather has messed us over two years, so please come out and get berries. We have them and they’re beautiful."
"But please participate with other farmers too because we all work hard," says Tim.
Growing strawberries requires year-round work, according to the Stroiks. Long before the harvest begins, farmers spend months weeding, maintaining fields and protecting plants from harsh weather conditions.
“There’s so much work involved,” says Amy. “There’s weeding, there’s frost protecting, just upkeep. You start the whole year before.”
Last year, the farm’s strawberry season lasted only five days. This year, growers are hoping for a harvest that stretches closer to the typical two-to-three-week season.
“It usually goes two to three weeks,” says Tim. “We’re hoping for a three-week season. We haven’t had a three-week season in years, and same with some other growers.”
For Miranda Ritger, the Stroiks’ daughter and as a summer employee at the farm, the best part is after the harvest.
“Probably just strawberry pie, we don’t make a lot during the season because we’re working a ton. So we’ll typically make a lot of goods like freezer jam and stuff like that. So we’ll enjoy the berries during the winter," says Ritger.
And after months of battling frost, rain and uncertainty, seeing families fill their baskets makes all the effort worth it.
“I just love to see the smiling faces,” says Tim. “It’s rewarding to see all the hard work you put in and people come out and enjoy it.”
Farmers say the coming weeks will determine how long the season lasts, but for now, berry lovers have the opportunity to enjoy fresh, locally grown strawberries while supporting Wisconsin farms.
