Strawberries in Chilton County should be ready by April 15
Published 2:13 pm Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Sunshine Farms in Chilton County is gearing up for the strawberry season, which should begin around April 15 this year, a tad bit late compared to previous seasons.
Rows and rows of strawberry plants line the fields at County Road 37 in Clanton waiting to be ripe for the picking.
“We are almost there,” Jimmy Durbin said on Tuesday. “The berries are just about ready.”
Sunshine Farms in Chilton County is gearing up for the strawberry season, which should begin around April 15 this year, a tad bit late compared to previous seasons.
The berries are waiting to be ripe for the picking.
“We had a hard, cold winter which set us back about one week,” Durbin said. “Normally, we start picking around April 9 or April 10, but we will be a week later.”
Earlier Tuesday morning, Durbin said white sheets covering the 120,000 strawberry plants were removed after near freezing temperatures this past weekend threatened to damage the berries.
“We had to protect them from getting too cold,” Durbin said. “Right now, we are having some great weather with warmer days and cool nights.”
Durbin anticipates the season ending this year around June 10. He explained that strawberries are not hindered by rainfall, but cooler temperatures often prevent the fruit from growing.
The fields will soon be filled with bright red berries that can fit in the palm of your hand, Durbin said.
Toward the back of the fields, there are roughly 200,000-250,000 bees working to help pollinate the berries.
“The bees will work the strawberries until the last bloom,” Durbin said.
Customers visiting Sunshine Farms can pick from the u-pick farms Monday-Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For those interested in picking their own berries, Sunshine Farms charges $9 for a one-gallon “busket” or $11 for berries that have already been picked.
“We welcome anyone to come out and pick some berries,” Durbin said. “Children, groups, friends, whoever wants to come.”
Jimmy Durbin Farms is located at 11728 County Road 37 in Clanton. For more information, call (205) 280-0242 or visit www.jimdurbinfarms.com.
The Chilton County Extension Office provides a directory each year of u-pick strawberry farms throughout the county.
Below is a list of u-pick farms listed in the directory:
•G&G Farms: 15184 County Road 16 Maplesville, 36750 (334) 366-4594.
•Sugar Hill Farm: 3358 County Road 59 Verbena, 36091 (205) 389-3080 or (205) 351-1480.
•Sunshine Farms: 11703 County Road 37 Clanton, 35045 (205) 280-0242 or (205) 755-4203.
