It Was a Berry Big Job on a Berry Cold Day

By Mitch Traphagen  (mitch@observernews.net)

BALM - It was a long, unpleasant weekend for those at Goodson Farms on County Road 672 north of Sun City Center. While most residents of south Hillsborough were snuggled in their beds warding off the near-record cold, workers at the area strawberry farms were out in the field, cold and wet, doing their best to protect the little red berries.

California produces the bulk of the strawberries grown in the U.S. Hillsborough County alone, however, produces roughly 15 percent of the nation's red berries. These are the good ones, too - the Sweet Charlie and the Rosa Linda varieties among others. Florida strawberries are known as the table fruit, the fresh berries that people buy because they look and taste great. That is no minor distinction as nearly 98 percent of the American population says they have consumed strawberries.

Strawberries date back more than 2200 years. The more than 600 varieties today all stem from roughly five or six wild species. Their red color gives away their family tree as strawberries are a member of the rose family. They are also the only fruit in which the seeds grow on the outside.

In many ways, strawberries are more a part of Americana than the turkey and pumpkin pie of Thanksgiving. They were grown by American Indians when the first Europeans landed in Virginia in the late 1500s. By the early 1600s they were being shipped back to England. The big red strawberry that we know today was introduced in 1806.

The happy history of the little berry didn't mean much to the people in the field on Friday morning. The workers had an unusual job and one that is probably not touted by the Florida Chamber of Commerce. Wearing scarves, rain gear and as many layers of clothing as they could jam on, they fanned out across the fields, breaking ice off the sprinkler heads in the 27 degree temperatures of the early morning. It was a cold and wet job. Given the wind chill, it wasn't even pleasant to watch.

The hard, unpleasant job paid off, however. "We had a little damage but overall we came through pretty good," said Craig Sovine of Goodson Farms.

It is a serious business in Florida and the temperatures of last week were a major concern for the growers. Strawberries cannot be harvested early, they will not continue to ripen after being picked. Gov. Jeb Bush lifted trucking weight restrictions for the state's growers to allow as much of the crops, mostly citrus, to be harvested as possible. That, however, is little comfort when the crop is not ready to be picked.

"We dodged a major bullet," said Ila Allen, Marketing and Promotions Director for the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. "We've suffered a slight downfall and production will be a little lower for the next two weeks but everyone is very happy that things turned out OK."

For most people in the area, the weather was simply uncomfortable, or perhaps an inconvenience and a canceled round of golf. As the daytime temperatures zoom into the 70s this week, the few hours of subfreezing temperatures that we endured served to provide a reminder of why we live here. Last week, daytime high temperatures in parts of Minnesota reached 10 degrees below zero.

Enjoy the weather this week. Perhaps the sunny skies would steer you towards enjoying a strawberry shake from one of the area growers. As you sip the creamy, sweet concoction made with berries fresh from the vine, you can think to yourself that no one is getting one of these treats in Minnesota.