(JENNIFER STAHN / iNFOnews.ca)
July 07, 2015 - 6:30 PM
SO EARLY, IT'S UNHEARD OF
OKANAGAN - Many crops in the Okanagan have come and gone much earlier than normal, and that’s leaving consumers with mixed emotions.
Cheryl Rohrer with Good ’N’ Plenty Produce in Armstrong says some customers are thrilled to see their favourite foods out earlier than usual, while others are left disappointed they missed out on them.
“A lady came in this morning looking for strawberries and was surprised they were over already,” Rohrer says.
Like most fruits and vegetables grown in the Okanagan, strawberries came about two weeks early this year. They lasted the typical five weeks and the season wrapped up this past weekend. But as one crop finishes up, another begins.
Pickling cucumbers, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and garlic are all in season now, with some arriving so early, it’s unheard of.
“People can’t believe what we already have on our shelves,” Rohrer says.
Garlic, which is usually harvested starting in mid-July, was ready as early as the end of May, Rohrer says.
“It’s very early,” Rohrer says. “People have been buying it left and right.”
While the unusually early growing season has likely left some canners in a pickle, Rohrer says the best way to ensure you get your fill of local fruits, berries and veggies is to phone well ahead of time and reserve them. The farm is already taking orders for many products and Rohrer says you should act fast if you want large quantities of pickling cucumbers or garlic, which tend to sell out.
Meanwhile, farmers are looking ahead and predicting later season crops, like corn, will also be making their debuts earlier than normal.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015