It’s strawberry time in Michigan, and the picking is mostly good, but with a hard-to-predict schedule.
This season, strawberry growers around metro Detroit and beyond say weather conditions like frost are impacting the season and yields. Strawberries, at most farms, did make it and are ready for picking or available already picked.
New to the strawberry season is Blake Farms’ South Lyon location. This is the first year for strawberries at the South Lyon location, the former longtime and family-owned Erwin’s Orchard. In 2022, Blake’s family of farms began operating the orchard.
Brent Christensen, farm operations manager for all of Blake’s locations, said there are four acres for U-Pick in South Lyon and a combined 32 acres of strawberries across Blake’s four farm locations.While Blake’s strawberry crop is average this year, Christensen said, it had its share of weather impacts.
“We had many frost events this year, 13 out of 20 days we frost-protected strawberries,” he said. “Every frost event can kill a flower even when protected. We frost protect by irrigating, and it’s adding a lot of water to the system, which can stress the plants, on top of the cold water.”
Heavy rains in April also impact plants.
“There was almost a 40-day stretch that had a lot of water,” he said.
Two popular u-pick farms not opening this season
This year, there’s also sadness in the fields as the list of farms offering u-pick dwindles.
A favorite for strawberry picking, Rowe’s Produce Farm in Ypsilanti, announced they are out of the strawberry business. In recent years, Rowe’s has had as many as 25 acres of strawberries to pick.Owner Mark Girard told the Free Press that, while he was planning on retiring, the farm’s strawberry plants in the last few years haven’t been the same. In some recent years, the plants, he said, didn’t fully come back.
The farm currently offers u-pick English and sugar snap peas.
Diedrich’s Berry and Produce Farm in Webberville, just west of Fowlerville, suffered crop loss this season, according to a June 8 post on its Facebook page.
“This is not an update we want to give. Due to a widespread root system failure, we are experiencing severe crop loss. Despite our best efforts to save the crop, we will not be able to open for U-Pick or We-Pick this year. We hope you are able to get your strawberries this season from another source. We are very sorry we cannot be your berry farm this year. Looking for a better corn season,” the post reads.
Unlike crops like blueberries and apples, strawberry season is a short one and typically lasts only about three weeks.
Christensen said Blake’s strawberry season, depending on the weather, should last until the end of the month. What makes Blake’s unique, Christensen said, is that there are four separate locations to pick from.
“Very rarely do we have to close for berries to be ready,” he said.
All four of Blake’s locations, Christensen said, will have u-pick and already-picked strawberries. Strawberries are $4.49 per pound for u-pick and $7.50 per quart for already picked. A flat with eight quarts of already-picked strawberries is $49.95.
Coming up at Blake’s and kicking off the summer season is its annual Strawberry Festival. From 8 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, June 20-21, is Blake’s annual Strawberry Festival at Blake’s Orchard and Cider Mill. Admission is free for the festival, celebrating the start of summer, highlighting strawberries. There will be strawberry-themed treats and drinks, an artisan market and other seasonal offerings, plus live music all day and a fireworks show at dusk. Admission is free.
Where to pick strawberries in metro Detroit
Here’s where to pick strawberries in metro Detroit. It’s important to call the farms or check websites and social media for updates on availability, hours and picking conditions.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: sselasky@freepress.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SusanMariecooks. Subscribe to the Eat Drink Freep newsletter for insider scoops on food and dining in metro Detroit.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan strawberry season is here with farms offering U-Pick
Reporting by Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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By Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
