First Summer Berries

Learn:

Why are strawberries so special? Is it because they are the first berry to ripen in the spring? Or is it that incomparable sweetness of a warm summer strawberry? Or maybe it’s because it is one of our signs of summer: school is out and everyone is free to go to the strawberry fields to pick (and eat) enough for the year? Whatever the reason, strawberries are one of our favorite seasonal produce.

Some fun facts to tuck away as you head out to pick this summer:

• A strawberry has an average of 200 seeds on the outside of the fruit.

• The strawberry is a member of the rose family - take a long whiff of the petals while you’re out there!

• You can grow strawberry plants by sticking a fruit in the ground or in a pot!

• Plants will produce for about five years, but will send out runners to start new plants each year.

• Many insects drink the nectar of the strawberry flower, helping to pollinate it - without them, we wouldn’t have the berries!

• Many animals also eat the fruit, including rabbits, chipmunks, mice and even turtles! These animals help strawberries to spread by distributing the seeds in their scat.

Read:

By far my favorite strawberry book is “The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story” by Joseph Bruchac and illustrated by Anna Vojtech. I originally heard it read by the author when he visited UW-Madison. It’s a beautiful retelling of a First Nations legend, and also has a great embedded message about the importance of apologies.

Do:

Well, this one is easy. Find a U-Pick farm near you and make time to pick strawberries this summer! Support your local farmers, celebrate the early fruits of the season, and make some tasty memories with your family as you pick, eat, bake, freeze, and eat!