Get your local strawberries now

Time is running out to pick your own strawberries!

There are still strawberries to be picked at Spectrum Farms, but the season is ending soon. To check opening times, call 218-389-6265. The fields are located at 2332 County Road 4 in Carlton (formerly Finke's Berry Farm). Remember to bring cash or a check to pay -- they don't take credit or debit cards.

What to know more? Here's the latest news from Spectrum co-owner Rita Vavrosky:

How is it going?

It’s going really well. The berries are beautiful and we have plenty of them The conditions are good, however now it’s getting hot.

Are you filling up with pickers every day?

We have had lots of people coming to pick and they have always gotten as many berries as they wanted However, now that it’s later in the season fewer people are coming out for each picking. As long as the berries hold out we’ll keep opening for picking, so people should come out to the fields (after they’ve called the Berry Hotline, of course).

What does the warmer weather do to the strawberries?

The warmer weather makes the strawberries ripen faster. It also tends to concentrate the sugars, so the berries are sweeter. This heat will shorten the picking season, but we do not know by how much.

How is this year going compared to recent years?

Compared with last year’s drought, things are much better! The strawberries are larger and plumper and juicier and sweeter.