Be patient, Nova Scotians! Your local strawberries are coming

Nova Scotia's dry spring followed by a couple of weeks of cool,wet weather meanlocal strawberries will likely hit their peak a few days later than some years, farmers say.

At Kennie'sStrawberry Farm in North Kentville, N.S., the phone line has been busy withwould-be customers wanting to find out when they canget their fill of one of the province's most eagerlyanticipated crops.

"Everybody is calling and just can't wait till we open U-pick the first day," says farmer Bruce Kennie. "You know, people really like strawberries."

At Kennie's, the harvest hasn't yet begun, but picking could start within hours, he said Monday morning.

"If the ground dries off enough, like right now our fields are just soaked with mud, soif we can get into the fields we may pick a few tonight, but that would be the first berries that we pickthis season."

Kennie says last year's crop was ready around June 10, which is early, so this year's start is still in the normal range.

He's pinning his hopes ona stretch of warm, sunny weather forecasted for this week that could allow the U-pick to open in the next few days.

"Oh they'll come on fast. Isuspect by the weekend we'll have lots of berries, you know, if everything goes good."

Warmth will help flavour

A few minutes down the highway deeper into the Annapolis Valley, Webster Farms in Cambridge is also awaiting the bump in temperatures this week.

"It'll bring on the berries a bit quicker and it should help the flavour quite a bit, too," says farm manager Jordan Eyamie.

Wet and cold weather can result in watery-tasting berries, she says, and can also contribute to the potential for plant diseases.

Eyamie says due to the rain, she doesn't expect to start picking for another five days or so a few days later than last year.

"As long as we have berries for Canada Day weekend, I'm usually pretty happy."

Every year different

At Rendell'sFarm in Cape Breton's Mill Creek, owner Eddie Rendellsays there's one growing requirement this year's strawberry crop is still waiting for.

"We need some heat," he says. "It's only 10 degrees in Cape Breton today."

Rendell says his plants have lots of blossoms and look "really nice," but a few days of warmth will make a big difference.

He's been growing strawberries for at least 40 years, and says every year is different, with picking beginning some years around June 25 and other years as late as July 8.

He says Cape Breton berries usually ripen about a week to10 days after Valley berries, and he expects to be able to start picking by July 1 this year.