DOBSON, N.C. —
It's that time of year: strawberry season! Farms across the Piedmont are prepping to open their gates to the public for you-pick season, despite challenges in growing through the winter.
The Farm in Dobson is open to school field trips ahead of the official opening day for strawberries on May 10. It is gearing up for families who can pick half-gallon and gallon buckets on three upcoming weekends.
While there is a lot of excitement for strawberry picking, there have also been some challenges. At The Farm, strawberry plants look a little different this year compared to last year.
Mayghan Watson, owner of The Farm, said the fungal disease neopestalotiopsis, also known as neo-p, was found on some of the starter daughter plants they import from Canada back in September. The disease causes the plant to rot, making some spots a little patchy.
Watson said over the course of the winter, they covered crops seven times to protect from frost instead of spraying strawberries with water in hopes of limiting the spread of the disease.
"We've worked really hard this year to keep our plants alive, and we are going to have a good season and plenty of strawberries for people to pick," Watson said. "A lot goes into just keeping them alive long enough to have berries on them. And for the families to be able to come and pick."
Though the crop yield might be a little lighter than they anticipated, there are still more than 2 acres of strawberries waiting to be picked.
Watson, a former third grade teacher, said elementary school field trips hold a special place in her heart and allow The Farm to keep their business alive.
"We get a lot of field trips from kids who live in the city, and this is their first experience on a farm," she said. "And they're getting a whole day experience getting to learn where their food comes from. Because for a lot of them, their food comes from a grocery store or a restaurant, and they don't see where it comes from before that."
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Have you ever wondered how to pick the best ones? Watson said it's all about the color.
"We say, the redder the better!" She said. "A strawberry does not continue to ripen once it's picked, so when you go out to pick strawberries, you want one, to find one that is red on all sides, and that's going to be the sweetest berry that you'll find."
You can get tickets to The Farm here.
Other strawberry farms across the Triad:
Mabe's Berry Farm
1652 Greenfield Road, Walnut Cove, NC 27052 — 336-591-4785
Mock Farm and Gardens
6680 Shallowford Road, Lewisville, NC, United States, North Carolina — 336-817-8506
Armstrong Artisan Farm
1499 Brook Cove Road, Walnut Cove, North Carolina — 336-529-4084
Hedgecock Strawberry Farm
3011 Abbotts Creek Church Road, Kernersville, NC 27284 — 336-869-4762