27.04.2008 Strawberry-picking season starts on local farms

Strawberry-picking season starts on local farms Strawberries and cream. Strawberry shortcake. Strawberry pie. It's strawberry-picking season on local farms. College Run Farms in Surry opened up its pick-your-own patch on Saturday, and Oliver Farms in Isle of Wight opened on Wednesday. On Friday, Lilley Farms' patches in Suffolk and Chesapeake will open. Strawberries ripened about a week early this year for Steve Berryman, who operates College Run Farms. The strawberry business opened Saturday, but rain forced him to close again until Wednesday. "It's a real big crop this year," Berryman said. "They look really nice." His fields haven't had problems with a fungus that was reported in other strawberry fields in the state, he said. Lilley Farms owner Carolyn Lilley earlier this week thought they would have to put off opening until next week. Then the sun came out. "Overnight, there was all these berries. It was like, boom!" she said. The season peaks around the second week of May and lasts about six weeks before it tapers off, Lilley said. There has been a growing interest by consumers in picking strawberries fresh from the farm, she said. "We get a lot of people from Newport News, Hampton," she said. "It's just fun for the family. There's nothing like a fresh strawberry." Here are a few local pick-your-own strawberry patches. Source: dailypress.com Publication date: 4/25/2008