Strawberries arrived earlier than normal this year because of the warm temperatures in March. Grown year round in California, strawberries are one of our most popular fruits whose intense sweet flavor is unsurpassed when we can pick and/or buy them locally in the spring.

Because they taste so good, are locally grown strawberries grown differently than their counterparts from California?

Strawberries grown on the East Coast or in the north don’t have as many pathogen problems because the ground freezes, a natural inoculation against pests. Consequently, growers in these areas don’t have to use the most harmful chemical soil fumigants, methyl bromide and methyl iodide (recently banned in California), one or the other of which is used in growing conventional strawberries. Although there are only a handful of strawberry growers in North Carolina whose berries are USDA certified organic, you can find small local and regional farmers who grow them without any pesticides.  Check out this site:  http://farmfreshnorthcarolina.com/2011/05/where-to-find-organic-u-pick-strawberries/

Know your farmer and before they are soon gone, enjoy these fresh seasonal berries that are loaded with fiber, vitamin C, folate, potassium, manganese, and antioxidants.