Strawberry Specialist Says 2011 Crop Seasonally on Track
MONMOUTH — One of the most delightful harbingers of summer is at hand with strawberry season beginning in Maine. University of Maine Cooperative Extension strawberry specialist David Handley is available to provide an update on where strawberries are ripening around the state, the condition of the crop and best handling advice.
Handley, a vegetable and small fruit specialist at Highmoor Farm in Monmouth, reports that some southern Maine commercial farms are expected to open this week and others further north will soon follow.
He says the 2011 season is progressing normally. The harvest begins in southern areas of the state in late June, typically, and berries ripen in central and more northern areas around the first week or two in July, even later in Aroostook County.
Pests so far have not been problematic, according to Handley, although growers remain on guard for slugs, sap beetles and birds.
Handley discusses proper picking and handling methods in an Extension video for consumers. In addition, an Extension video featuring Extension educator Kathy Savoie in the Portland office is featured in a video about making strawberry jam and jelly.
Handley can be reached at (207) 933-2100 or by email at david.handley@maine.edu for details. Savoie can be reached at (207) 780-4205 to discuss canning fruit and other fresh garden produce.
Contact: David Handley, (207) 933-2100; Kathy Savoie, (207) 780-4205