KEWAUNEE COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – A big red burst of summer is ripe and ready for the picking.
The strawberry season is underway in parts of Northeast Wisconsin.
At Kraynik’s Berry Farm, west of Kewaunee, strawberry pickers are out in force.
Jenny Heidel tells Fox 11….
“A little rainy, but good conditions, not too hot. It’s just kind of a tradition. I like to garden. So there’s just something satisfying about getting out and picking your own produce.”
A few rows over, others are filling trays with big red berries.
“They’re really nice. They’re about the biggest I’ve seen in a long time, and I’ve been coming many, many years,” said Kathy Kuehl.
“This year, our patch looks amazing,” says Todd Kraynik.
Todd Kraynik tells FOX 11 the strawberry season has come a long way since the April blizzard.
“For a while there, when we had two feet of snow, we didn’t know when the starting date was. We thought it would be like the end of June or the first part of July, but once the snow melted, things started happening fast.”
Picking started Monday afternoon on the six-acre farm.
“This is nothing. I’ll be here three or four more times yet. And then we just eat them, put them on cereal, eat them just like that. Cool Whip on them, and all that stuff,” said Kuehl.
Pickers have many reasons to hit the fields.
“To be outside. And I’ll go home, and I’ll have strawberries and ice cream tonight, And my wife and I will make strawberry jam.” said Lloyd Kwasny, Bellevue.
While the picking continues, Kraynik says a little sunshine would help.
“We don’t need any more rain. The rain can hold off now. We had enough in the last two weeks, so we’re sitting good for rain for now.”
2018 marks the 39th season at Kraynik’s Berry Farm. The owners say picking could last another three or four weeks.
