Rejoice strawberry lovers, depending on where you are in the state, strawberry season is here or almost here! Pick-your own farms in Eastern NC have opened and fresh, North Carolina berries can be found in some farmers markets and stores.  

• Good news! North Carolina strawberries are starting to appear across the state at pick-your-own farms, roadside stands, farmers markets and stores, which makes me very happy.
• Photos of families out picking berries at farms are starting to pop up on social media and stands at the State Farmers Market in Raleigh have fresh local strawberries for sale.  
• April and May are big strawberry months in North Carolina with berries starting to appear in the southeastern part of the state around mid-April depending on the weather and hitting their peak in May.
• The Piedmont will see strawberries mid- to late-April and the Western part of the state should look for fresh strawberries in early May.
• Strawberries welcome each new growing season as they are the first fruit of the season, and I always look forward to their arrival so I can enjoy strawberry shortcake.
• I’ve had some strawberries already this season from my neighbors and friends in Guilford County – Rudd Farms.
• North Carolina ranks third in strawberry production in the United States based on the value of the crop. We have around 1,600 acres of strawberries in North Carolina with most berries being sold fresh.
• We have a couple of ways to help you find local strawberry farms near you. You can download and use the VisitNCFarms app or you can go online at gottobenc.com and click on the Find Local link.
• There are filters that let you find items by commodity type, region and season.
• Let’s start this growing season off on a strong foot, by buying local strawberries and supporting the farmers in your communities.
• The link to search is gottobenc.com or through the VisitNCFarms app.