It's the ripe time for strawberries

THE LONG-AWAITED ripening of the season's first sweet-scented strawberries inspires thoughts of strawberries with cream or strawberry pie and shortcake.

Beyond that, they launch us on our way to summer's high season at farms around Hampton Roads.

This year the news is good for those anxious to "buy local" or whose patience has worn thin from waiting for their favorite spring and summer crops to make an appearance. Strawberries started ripening early in the warmth of the spring sunshine, and pick-your-own fields have been opening up ahead of schedule.

"Spring is breaking a little sooner than normal," Farmer John Lindsay said.

Lindsay, who owns Poor John's Farm in Chesapeake, said most of his crops down the line would be about a week earlier than usual, too.

Farmer Mike Cullipher also is looking at an early season at Cullipher Farm in Virginia Beach.

"It's the culmination of fairly warm weather and good rains," Cullipher said. "For the last month to six weeks, it's been perfect."

The one downside, Lindsay said, is he will have to raise prices this year, probably as much as 10 percent. Costs have increased across the board. For one, his fertilizer prices have almost doubled from last fall to this spring.

"I hate going up in prices," Lindsay added.

Cullipher agreed. His expenses have grown like weeds in a rainy field. His pick-your-own strawberries will be about 7 percent higher in price than last year. Cullipher said the prices have soared so high that he could not pass all the costs on to his customers.

"People couldn't tolerate that big an increase," he explained.

Cullipher and Lindsay started picking strawberries more than two weeks ago, and both are open for pick-your-own now, as are most farmers in the area.

May peas should be in before long. Cullipher hopes for squash and cucumbers by Memorial Day and Lindsay, by the middle of June.

Lindsay is really looking forward to his yellow squash.

"Oh, my goodness, talk about something fitting to eat!" he said. "I can't wait to get my teeth in that. It's so good, especially when you haven't had it in awhile."

The traditional start of corn and tomato season is July 4, but for those who can't wait, Cullipher hopes to have an early variety called Frosty by June 25. And he hopes you'll be able to clap your hands in appreciation for "Applause," an early tomato that Cullipher thinks will accompany Frosty to his market come June 25.

Today's chart of what's in season and when  offers information for the spring and throughout the growing season.

Mary Reid Barrow, barrow1@cox.net