Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Agriculture
Olivia Stevens

Drought affects Minnesota strawberry growers; fewer pick-your-own options this summer

Unripe strawberries on a plant
Strawberry plants at Country Blossom Farm in Alexandria, Minn., on Wednesday showed signs of failing to thrive amid a very dry season. Due to the poor yields, visitors t the farm will not be able to pick their own strawberries this year, though pre-picked berries will be available for sale.
Courtesy of Troy Heald

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Minnesotans may notice fewer options for strawberry picking this summer.

Dry conditions have contributed to a poor yield for many farmers. Strawberry plants require an average of one to two inches of water per week to thrive. But some parts of Minnesota have seen less than a tenth of an inch of rain this month.

For the first time since Country Blossom Farm in Alexandria, Minn., opened in 2009, visitors will not be able to pick their own strawberries. The farm’s Troy Heald said the weather hampered production, and there’s also road construction near the fields.

“We’ve got a lot of money invested in the crop, and the time and everything — and it’s disappointing at best when there’s no reward at the end, if you will,” Heald said. “But you know, it’s farming, and you know, you have good years and you have bad.”

Heald still plans to sell pre-picked strawberries, but said people often visit for the experience of picking berries themselves.

“Our whole philosophy is a family fun farm,” Heald said. “We want people to come out, enjoy, spend some time … We used to have several U-Pick strawberry patches in the area and they’ve been gone now for a while, so we kind of started [ours] because there really weren't any left.”

Nowthen Berries near Elk River, Minn., is one of the luckier farms, producing a strong crop so far this season. They opened for visitors to pick their own strawberries Thursday.

Nowthen Berries’ Dan Hillukka, who works another day job, has been spending his nights irrigating the fields, which he said saved them. He said he hopes to make extra profit this season as fewer farms offer the pick-your-own experience.

“I’m hoping for some added growth and sales partly due to other farms that maybe don’t have berries or not as many,” Hillukka said. “But I guess I’ll have to take my turn sometime. I think sooner or later each farm has its time to be down and out, whether you get hit by hail or some other catastrophic event I guess, so as to be thankful for what we have today.”

Pick-your-own farms across the state are listed at minnesotagrown.com.