Quebec’s strawberry season is off to a late start with farmers saying the cold spring is to blame. However, the weather is also resulting in tastier fruit. At Ferme Forget in Laval, co-owner Rebecca Lamontagne is seeing the first berries beginning to appear. “We only grow strawberries that arrive end of June, beginning of July,” she said. “I think we are a few days late comparatively to the other years.” Quebec strawberry producers are up to five days behind schedule, but it means they’re getting sweeter fruit and plenty of the berries. “They’re gorgeous,” said Lamontagne. “The taste and quality of the fruit; really they’re gorgeous.” Field-grown strawberries should be in local grocery stores by early next week. “When the spring is cool, it gives the time [for] the fruit to develop their sugar and their sweetness slowly, which typically will produce fruits that are a little bit more sweet than usual,” said Quebec Strawberry Growers Association general manager Jasmine Sauvé. Quebec’s industry has more than 350 growers and the vast majority of the berries are sold within the province. Hail caused minor damage at Ferme Forget, but some farms were hit much harder. Sauvé said that climate change is increasingly making the growing season unpredictable. “Either there’s too much rain, it’s too cold, [or] it’s too warm,” she said. “So it’s hard to have a standard season right now.” That’s why many family farms produce a variety of crops to get them through the year, such as raspberries, and squash, and pumpkins. However, their strawberries are a sweet favourite, and, in a few weeks’ time, the fields will be filled with fruit and families. “They like to just come in the field and eat, have some juice coming down their face,” said Lamontagne, laughing.
