Chris Sutton from Berryhill Farm is preparing his farm for what might be the busiest season yet. Come July, he expects his Xenia farm to be flooded with families picking blueberries and blackberries and browsing his selection of jams and produce. It would be a great recovery after a difficult 2020 season.
In past years, Sutton said he’s lost his entire crop to bad weather and 2020 proved particularly harsh. “We lost probably 30% of our crop there,” he told baynews9.com. “And then we had a lot of bird damage. Because of the frost they didn’t have any other food.”
On top of that, Sutton said his farm was seeing a spike in customer demand. “If we had the product here it would have been really good for us,” he said. Due to the pandemic, Sutton said people were excited about an outdoor experience they could safely share with the family. Unfortunately, though, his berry bushes couldn’t keep up.
But this year things should be different. Sutton didn’t have many frost-damaged branches to prune and the rainy spring weather has made his job easier. Sutton expects a plentiful berry crop this year starting its peak right about on time, Fourth of July weekend. Sutton expects the season to last through August, with certain crops of blueberries and blackberries set to peak at different times.