THETFORD, Vt. (WCAX) – It’s a sure sign that summer is right around the corner — strawberries are ripe for the picking at a farm near you.
Pick your own strawberries kicked off Tuesday at the Cedar Circle Farm in Thetford.
Geneva Kearns and her daughters are visiting from California. It’s the little girls’ first time in a strawberry patch. “I like to eat them,” said Georgia, age 5.
And they had to sample a few to get full experience. “I’m looking for a nice red and juicy strawberry,” said Molly, age 8.
“It’s really neat for them to see where they come from and be part of the process of getting a hold of them and trying them before they buy. I think we will be eating a lot of strawberries the next few days,” Geneva said.
This year, Cedar Circle has plenty to go around. “We have a really good crop this year,” said the farm’s Ralf Carestia. Great news for the farm after last year’s heavy rains mixed with extreme heat meant the crop suffered. “It took an immense amount of work last year because strawberries are a two-year crop.”
Now, farmers say they are reaping the fruits of their labor while helping the community fill their boxes. “It’s energizing. It is so fun having people around,” Carestia: said.
“I’m going to make a lot of pie out of this,” said Mara Cotz, a visitor from South Carolina in town for her brother’s graduation. “I grew up around here and used to come pick when I was little, so it was really great to just spend come time with my mom.”
Family time in the fields, looking for that perfect fruit.