'Anxious to have that first taste', P.E.I. strawberry crop is early

Strawberry farmers on P.E.I. are saying the crop isearly and looks to be a good one.

Dianne Balderston from Balderston's Farm says she was excited to see the firststrawberries of the season.

"To us it is early, we usually try to have them the middle of June, usually the weather on P.E.I. doesn't cooperate to get them that early but this year it seemed to come through for us and there are a few coming on now and now with the sun out, I'm sure they'll be more coming each day. "

The wet and cold weather didn't seem to have an impact on growth.

"It did feel like a miserable spring but the snow was gone and we were into growing conditions, it wasn't like last year when we had to wait for six feet of snow to come off them before they started to grow," she said.

"We tend to get them covered up fairly early so we get some warmth underneath and that seemed to help, yes there was wet and cold but there was not the snow to fight with this year."

What comes next depends on Mother Nature

Arnie Nabuurs of Nabuurs Gardens said his early varieties have just started as well, but in his experience, it all depends on what the weather does next .

"I mean if we get a lot of heat between now and the next 10 days then they'll be there quickly, and if not it'll be a little longer," he said.

Looking at the plants so far, he is confident it will bea good year for the fruit.

"The crop looks nice this year, it looks likethe plant stand is healthy, there's good fruit stand there so I have high expectations. I think there's going to be nice fruit there for sure. "

Balderston says those customers she has been able to serve so far have been very pleased.

"Seems to be everybody's anxious to have that first taste, it's kind oflike your first lobster in the spring, the first strawberry is the very best one that you'll eat all season."