Strawberry season is underway in the Okanagan

PENTICTON – The Okanagan’s 2019 strawberry crop is ready for harvest in the southern part of the valley.

Osoyoos Fruit Basket manager Nabi Aujla said they began harvesting their crop last week, and it’s “looking good.”

Osoyoos Fruit Basket has a U-pick field as well and is located at 9910 Highway 3, just north of Osoyoos.

At Covert Farms, located at 300 Covert Place, north of Oliver, Shelly Covert said says the farm’s pick-your-own patch is open starting today, May 31. It's open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday, through June.

Further north, the strawberry patches have survived a colder than normal winter which has delayed maturity a bit, but they are just about ready.

"The fruit looks amazing. We are hoping to be open next week," Bilga Farms' Raj  Kandola said of their ready-picked strawberries. The farm is located at 1900 Rutland Road in Kelowna and is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. or until sold out.

At Dot’s Strawberry patch, located at 6494 Highway 6 near Coldstream, owners Brian and Darla Camber said they should be picking within the next two weeks.

“We’re working the fields right now. They’re looking pretty good,” Darla said, adding harvesting dates are still weather dependent.

Picking dates are similar at Moore’s Berry Farm at 4655 Mcleery Road in Armstrong, where Jim and Richard Moore expect the berries to be ready about mid- June.

In Salmon Arm, Geir’s Fruit & Berry Farm’s U-pick operation, located at 3820 40th St. East, is about three weeks away from harvest, expected to start around June 20.

At Golden Ears Farm, located at 5848 VLA Road near Chase, Tristan Cavers says the farm has downsized their strawberry patch this year.

The organic operation is inviting those interested in U-pick strawberries to sign a list at the farm’s booth at the Kamloops Farmer’s Market on Saturday.

Cavers says the farm will be open for one or two days designated for customers to come and pick their own.

He says he expects the crop to be ready in the next week to week and a half.

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