Manitoba strawberry farms prepare for warm season

Manitoba strawberry farms prepare for warm season

Strawberry growers and Manitoba U-Pick operations are looking at spring weed control and new plantings, now that the winter mulch is off

Manitoba strawberry growers and U-Pick operations are looking at spring weed control and new plantings; the 2025 berry picking season is coming fast.

Andrea Borodenko and Antoine Casimir have acquired Quebec’s Production Lareault.(CNW Group/Production Lareault)

Major strawberry plant producer changes hands

New owners get funding to buy Lareault business

The Quebec company billed as Canada’s largest producer of strawberry plants has picked up new ownership after nearly 70 years. Production Lareault, based on just over 450 acres at Lavaltrie, Que. — about 40 km northeast of Montreal, in the province’s Lanaudiere region — has been acquired by investors Antoine Casimir and Andrea Borodenko for


(Cavan Images/iStock/Getty Images)

Hepatitis A outbreak linked to organic strawberries

Cases reported in two provinces, three states

Washington | Reuters –– Food safety regulators in both Canada and the U.S. are investigating a hepatitis A outbreak potentially linked to tainted organic strawberries that has sickened 17 people in the U.S. and 10 in Canada, the agencies said. Fifteen illnesses were reported in California, and one each in Minnesota and North Dakota, the

File photo of Canadian farm-grown blueberries. (LittleCityLifestylePhotography/iStock/Getty Images)

Prizes put up to develop year-round berry production in Canada

Weston Foundation's new challenge backed with $33 million

A philanthropic foundation focused on improving public health now wants to improve diets by finding ways to juice up Canada’s home-grown fruit supplies. The Weston Family Foundation on Tuesday pledged $33 million over six years for what it calls the Homegrown Innovation Challenge, a prize challenge pitting ideas against ideas with the goal of extending

Angie Cormier demonstrates how to use the wash station that her dad designed
 and fabricated for their farm.

Strawberry business booms after slow start

COVID safety measures tricky but didn’t dampen demand

Strawberries were the new toilet paper this summer, says one grower. As in — people snapped them up so fast they were hard to come by. “Huge demand, not enough supply,” said Angie Cormier, who farms with husband Darren near La Salle. “Everyone has just seen an increase in customer flow.” The uptick in strawberry


U-pick operations to open with safety precautions

U-pick operations to open with safety precautions

Online stores set up to assist sales of pre-picked berries

U-picks for strawberries, saskatoon berries and other fruits will open this June with safety measures in place, the Prairie Fruit Growers Association announced on May 20. PFGA, which represents 70 U-pick farms in Manitoba, has been working with Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development fruit crops specialist, Anthony Mintenko, to develop COVID-19 guidelines. “Some of the

(File photo)

Ontario extends fruit, forage insurance premium deadlines

Extension offers 'flexibility,' Agricorp says

Ontario fruit and forage growers who have production insurance premiums due this month will now have until June 30 to pay, the province said Monday. The extended premium payment deadline applies only to production insurance plans for fruit, strawberries and asparagus — and to the forage rainfall insurance plan, which uses rainfall as an indicator

Local strawberries are a fleeting pleasure of a Manitoba summer.

Time to enjoy local strawberries

Don’t let this summer pleasure pass you by this season

There’s nothing like the taste of freshly picked, ruby-red strawberries. Lucky for us, strawberry-picking season is just around the corner so we’ll be able to get our fill of these tasty gems. Have you planned when and where you’re getting your local berries from this year? If not, be sure to check out the Prairie


When buying strawberries, look for fruits that are bright red with green caps and are free from moisture or bruising.

Enjoy seasonal strawberries

This is when strawberries are at peak quality and, usually, a lower price

I remember the “you-pick” strawberry patches we would visit in the early summer when I was a kid. You could see the plump, red berries peeking out from under the green foliage. I thought walking down the rows in a large field of strawberries was fun. I also remember a lady in a broad-brimmed floppy