Those in the North Carolina area may be able to go strawberry picking early this year, as the state's North Carolina Strawberry Association has announced that the fruits will ripen ahead of schedule.
The Charlotte Observer reports that strawberries are expected to arrive approximately two weeks ahead of schedule, mainly due to the extremely mild winter weather this season. In fact, many states have reported that their crops are blooming earlier than expected.
According to the news source, many strawberry farms that typically open in late April will allow people to come pick strawberries 10-14 days earlier instead. In some cases, farms are already picking and will be opening to the public shortly after the Easter holiday.
Still, farmers are not exactly in the clear yet. If temperatures dramatically rise or fall too fast, the crops could be ruined. That happened in 2007, when strawberries arrived early but were then largely killed due to freezing temperatures over Easter weekend. On the other hand, if temperatures increase too quickly, the plants will quit flowering, shortening the season.
"Our two main things now are not to get too cold and not to get too hot," Sam Hall, who owns a strawberry farm, told the news source.
Farmers who are planning to harvest their crops soon will need the right agricultural equipment to get the job done. Buying through the online auction site IronPlanet can help farm owners save money compared to buying new, and all equipment is backed by the site's IronClad Assurance, which allows bidders to view full inspection reports.
