Early start to strawberry picking season in Sturgeon Falls

Strawberries aren’t the only berry that people are picking this year at Leisure Farms in Sturgeon Falls. Farmer Mitch Deschatelets told CTV News haskap berries are becoming popular as well. June 27/21 (Jaime McKee/CTV News Northern Ontario)

STURGEON FALLS -

It’s not even July but Strawberries are ready to be picked at Leisure Farms in Sturgeon Falls.

“It’s probably the earliest that I can remember,” said Mitch Deschatelets, farmer at Leisure Farms.

“Most of the perennials if not all the perennials are very early this year.  We lost the snow fairly early and it got warm right from the start, so they were already awaken up and growing.”

Strawberries aren’t the only berry that people are picking this year. Deschatelets told CTV News haskap berries are popular as well.

“Their main attraction is that they have super,super high antioxidants.”

“If we have strawberry pick your own you can also pick your own haskaps.”

Farming through the pandemic hasn’t been easy for Deschatelets and his staff, but he’s now hoping for a successful berry picking season and that things will get back to normal as soon as possible.

“We’re all very,very anxious to get back to normal. I’m not complaining because everybody is in the same boat, and some got hit a lot worse,” he said.

Strawberry and haskap berry picking is expected to last a couple more weeks according to Deschatelets.

He adds raspberry picking season is just around the corner, and then strawberry, and haskap berries will be able to be picked again come fall.