FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP, COLUMBIA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — June is peak strawberry season in Pennsylvania, so area farms are soaking in the summer weather Mother Nature is throwing our way.
28/22 News stopped by one family-owned farm in Columbia County to see how visitors are getting "picky" this time of year.
Denise Bosworth has a lot of experience picking the best of the bunch as the fourth-generation owner of Rohrbach’s Farm in Franklin Township, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.
She says the early and consistent warm weather had the crop budding two weeks early.
“They started growing, the strawberries, but then the cool weather put everything on pause, and then the rain put everything on pause, so we have loads of green strawberries, but they weren’t ripening,” explained Denise Bosworth.
Strawberries are extremely sensitive to weather. Normally lasting around six weeks in their season, Bosworth says she anticipates them only lasting around four.
Now, Mother Nature is finally giving the fruit what it needs to go from green to red, fast.
“I really expected it to not be until later this weekend, but that heat and the sun is what really the strawberries have been waiting for,” said Denise Bosworth.
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Tuesday is the farm’s first day open for pick-your-own strawberry season. An activity that brings in people from all across the country and the world.
If you’re not the picking type, you can head upstairs where many of its crops from the farm are blended and poured onto some barbecue.
“The goal is when cherries come around, we’ll do a cherry barbecue sauce, when peach season comes around, we’ll do a peach barbecue sauce, so it’s fun to get a chance to experiment and try some different things,” explained Dan Bosworth, owner and pitmaster of Big Dan's BBQ.
Between Big Dan’s BBQ Restaurant and Catering and the hustle and bustle of operating the farm, the pair says there are plenty of opportunities to get outside and learn about the importance of supporting local.
“Just get your kids out and get involved in it to understand how vital Pennsylvania agriculture is in our community,” said Denise Bosworth.
Rohrbach’s pick-your-own strawberry days are weather dependent, so they encourage you to call them before heading out the door at 570-543-2211.
