(WXYZ) — Michigan's strawberry season has been a bumpy one, but Blake's Orchard and Cider Mill in Armada is giving berry lovers a reason to celebrate — at least for a few more days.
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The farm is hosting its 10th annual Strawberry Festival, and visitors are showing up hungry. Sorin Kovaci arrived with ambition, picking 10 pounds of strawberries through the farm's U-pick program. Laslie Haver and her niece Susan Pattee were gearing up to do the same.
When asked what makes the perfect strawberry, the answers came quickly.
"The color, the taste," Kovaci said.
"Medium size," Haver said.
"Fresh. On Sale," Pattee said.
Shoppers across the region have noticed strawberry prices fluctuating at grocery stores. Blake's Farms Operations Manager Brent Christensen said several factors are driving the volatility.
"There's so much that goes into it. Weather events, tariffs, fertilizer prices, fuel prices. They ship the berries from a long ways away, whether it's California or out of country, play a factor in what you're paying at the grocery store," Christensen said.
Michigan's growing season added its own complications. Christensen said the state's strawberry crop struggled this year due to excessive rainfall in April followed by multiple frost events.
"Yeah, the strawberry crop in general in Michigan has really struggled this year. There was a ton of water early in the month of April, and that caused issues with roots being super wet. And then we dealt with many frost events across the whole entire state. Cold temperatures when the plants are in flowering cause issues. It can stress the plant significantly. It can kill the flowers," Christensen said.
Despite those challenges, Christensen said Blake's Farms is not experiencing a shortage. The main location has up to 20 acres of strawberries, with 30 acres across all of the farm's properties.
"Here at Blake Farms, there's absolutely no shortage. We have up to 20 acres here at this main location. Across all of our properties, it's 30 acres. We have great crops. You might be seeing at your local farms a little bit smaller size or a little less quantity available on the shelves right now," Christensen said.
For those worried that smaller berries mean less flavor, Christensen offered some reassurance.
"A lot of people actually say that the smaller they are, they actually have a little bit more sugar, a little bit sweeter. So some people prefer them small. Me, myself, I like a big, nice, juicy berry, though," Christensen said.
Beyond the festival, Blake's Farms runs an educational program for children called Appleseed's Camp, which teaches kids how to grow crops, including strawberries. Lauren Pilett, the farm's Director of Marketing, said the program reflects a core value of the business.
"And that's a fun way to get kids excited about nutrition and the agricultural and all that stuff at a young age. And it's something that we're really passionate about here at Blake's Family," Pilett said.
With the season winding down, Christensen urged anyone thinking about visiting to act fast.
"The season's short. We only have about 10 days left in the season. Hurry out. You're going to miss it if you don't," Christensen said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
