'We've been pretty lucky': N.B. strawberry crop could have been much worse, say farmers

The recent rain, heat and humidity have had a damaging effect on strawberry crops, but some New Brunswick farmers say they're actually lucky it hasn't been worse.

Consistent rainfall that pools can rot the crops, and humidity is a risk factor for mould. 

"We've been pretty lucky," said Raymond Young of Raymond Young's Family Farm in Jemseg, a small community about 59 kilometres east of Fredericton.

"[The weather] hasn't done too much damage yet," he said. "There's the odd bunch of rotten berries, but there's not as much as there could be."

The humid and wet weather can also hinder picking, which can lead to the berries becoming over-ripened on the plant, said Young.

He's lost five to 10 per cent of his strawberry crop this year because of that and from mould.

This year, Young is selling berries for $6.75 a box, which is about a quart, and the U-pick price is $3.50 a box.

He's noticed the weather has been extreme this year. Things were so dry in April and May, he said, that the "gardens didn't start." 

"Now we're getting soaked down here so bad you can't even get on the ground to work it," he said.

On Wednesday, Young had to close his farm because of the rain, then on Thursday he was closed because of heat warnings for the area.  

WATCH | How the hot, damp weather is hurting a Jemseg strawberry farmer:

Hot, wet weather not good for strawberry season in New Brunswick

1 year ago

Duration 0:51

Amanda Young of Raymond Young’s Family Farm says this year’s strawberry yield has been negatively affected by the weather.

He also said that his biggest problem is getting people to help pick the berries.  

"There's nobody left in the community. They're all six feet under," he said. 

Bob Bates of Bates Landing Roadside Market in the Belleisle Bay area of southern New Brunswick, said he's had some strawberries spoil this season, but no more than usual.

He's also been happy with the turnout to his U-pick operation, where his berries are selling for $3.25 a quart or $2.25 a pound. And he's only lost two or three days of picking because of the weather.

"I didn't think we were going to get any support with all this rain, but our crowds are average, if not better than average, this year," Bates said. "I don't know if they're tired of sitting in the house because of the rain or what, but it works for me." 

Paul Vienneau of Ferme Vienneau near Cormier-Village, east of Moncton, took advantage of the nice weather and opened up his U-pick operation Friday.

"This is the first picking. We just started having ripe berries a little bit," said Vienneau. "Got a hard time doing our work with all the rain and all that, but thankfully we just started [picking]."

A quarter of Vienneau's strawberries may be dead in the field, he said, but he still has a lot of white ones that are not yet ripe, so he should have good picking for the next three weeks, he said. His U-pick berries go for $5 a box, which is about 1 ¾ pounds, and the berries picked by the farm go for $7 a box.

He said he also lost a lot of his potato crop. He said he planted four acres and three of those may be damaged. He hasn't picked them yet, but said they're probably all rotten in the soil. 

Because of the rain and the lack of sunlight, all of his crops are about two weeks late.

"We're going day by day. We're just going to try to do our best for saving the rest of the crop," he said.

"But if we're going to start having good weather right now, going to this fall, we should be good."