Strawberry Season is Short, but Sweet

The Recorder
June 18th, 2015
by Rachel Rapkin

Tis the season for fresh pick-your-own strawberries. Clifford Hatch, owner of Upinngil Farm, said strawberry season is only three weeks long in this area. “It started around June 8 and we just opened last Friday,” he said. “Our customers like over-ripe strawberries, but I always say the best ones have a white tip.” Hatch has been in the strawberry picking business for over 20 years. His cousin owned a farm in Warner. Strawberries, according to Hatch, don’t like what he calls, “wet feet,” which is how the name strawberry was developed. “These plants have very sensitive roots and we use straw to manage the crop,” he said. “It keeps the roots cool.”
Even with a short season, he said many customers come because strawberries are a kind of fruit that can be used in a variety of meals. This is true, especially for one long-time customer, Sue Williams, who has put her pickings into drinks, salads and pies and more. “I eat strawberries three times a day,” she said. “I eat them with my yogurt in the morning, I make smoothies during the day and I put them in my salads at night.” Another reason she picks the berries is for the memories it brings back. “As a child, I went picking and it just reminds me of the happy times,” she said.