Posted: 06.23.2010

Torrential rains that fell in southern Wisconsin Tuesday night into Wednesday morning have essentially sealed the fate of many Wisconsin strawberry growers, according to a Barneveld grower.

Ed Bures of Bures Berry Patch in Barneveld told Pam Jahnke's "Farm Show" on Wednesday morning that they'd made the decision to close their patch for the season due to the weather.  Bures said that he'd been in contact with his crop insurance agent, and that the agent had already received several calls from strawberry growers in equally uncomfortable situations.

Bures said with the heavy moisture and cloudy overcast days that the states been experiencing - there's just been no ideal window for picking of fruit.  He said that with so much moisture near the plant surface, berry quality can deteriorate very quickly. 

What's next?  Bures hopes that other crops he and his wife, Kathy, have on their acreage will help offset their financial losses in the strawberries.  He'll wait for better weather and then begin renovating his existing berry patch - narrowing rows - and deciding what varieties to keep or rotate out of for next year.  Bures said that some strawberry growers that are abandoning a field might have other cropping options behind the berries - perhaps a short season pea plant - but for him, he'll just let the field stand and recuperate.

Bures said this will be the first time in his strawberry patches history that they look to crop insurance for some type of financial assistance to offset the losses.

Listen to Pam and Ed's entire conversation here.

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