Tennessee strawberry farmers in a jam with slow start to season
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HARDEMAN COUNTY, Tenn. — Tennessee strawberry farmers are at risk of losing thousands of dollars with a slow start to the strawberry season. “We’ve had some damage from all of the rain and the cold,” said Ray Gilmer of Falcon Ridge Farm in Toone. Typically by mid to late April, Tennessee’s strawberry fields are full of ripe berries. “If we don’t get some sunshine, these berries aren’t going to mature, and that’s going to slow them down,” Gilmer said. Strawberry fields across the Volunteer State are in a jam, according to the Department of Agriculture. Falcon Ridge Farm said 20,000 strawberry plants are at risk of crop failure. Gilmer estimates if the rain continues through May the way it has in April, it could cost the farm $60,000. Gilmer said the plan is to start picking the strawberries next week, but he doesn’t think it’s likely. He said it’s crucial for the fruit to ripen before the heat of summer cranks up next month. “Once that weather gets warm, once we get into those 90-degree days, the crop’s going to shut down,” Gilmer said. In a release, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture said some farmers can expect berries by next week, “but yields will be light until the first week of May.” Gilmer said low yields will stretch beyond the farm. “A lot of people are going be unhappy because these strawberries are famous,” he said. “Everybody likes fresh strawberries.” Adding micro-nutrients such as calcium are small steps Gilmer said farmers can take to save the strawberries, but he said the best prescription for ripe pickings is more sunshine. Falcon Ridge Farm said other crops such as broccoli, lettuce and cabbage also have been impacted by cold weather. They estimate harvesting about half as much this year of those vegetables.
