Strawberries almost ready at Washington Farms

EASTVILLE - With more than 5 acres of strawberry beds ripening in the next week, John Washington is not worried about the fruit's low grocery store price due to bumper crops in Florida and California.

"The Florida (strawberry) season is pretty much over, is what I'm understanding," said Washington, owner of Washington Farms in Oconee County. "They're pretty much done about this time."

Strawberries from California don't have the freshness to compete with the local flavor, nor the enjoyment of his pick-your-own farm, Washington explained.

"I don't pay much attention to the California crops," he said. "Our berries are so much better."

Washington's pick-your-own strawberry fields at 5691 Hog Mountain Road could open as early as this weekend, though the timing, of course, will depend on the berries, he said.

A cool spring has delayed ripening a little, but the forecast calls for the kind of weather the berries need to turn a juicy red, Washington said.

"I tell people tax time is strawberry time," he said.

Washington prefers to open about April 15, but has opened as late as April 27 in the farm's 17-year history. The family will post its schedule on its Web site, www.washingtonfarms.net.

You-pick-'em growers like Washington Farms likely will not be

Comment on "Strawberries almost ready at Washington Farms"