Strawberries. Image courtesy: WAOW TV
MOSINEE, WI (WSAU-WAOW) – Strawberry season is underway across Wisconsin, but local growers say getting to harvest time has not been easy due to late spring frosts to recent rainfall.
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.”
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. 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 2-3 week season, though the Stroiks haven’t seen one of those in years.
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