December 6, 2001

It marks the beginning of winter in Central Florida as much as a shorts-clad Santa Claus and Christmas-lighted palms.

Strawberries ripening on the vine mean only one thing: It's time for shortcake, jams and daiquiris.

The berries are ready, folks. And if you're the do-it-yourself kind of person, getting fruit is just a farm trip away.

"You-pick" strawberry farms in Central Florida began picking season Dec. 1, and many are now offering hydroponically grown berries, which offer extended growing seasons and upright plants that make for easier picking. The picking season runs through May, and farms have plenty of fruit this year, growers say.

Florida farmers grow more than 6,000 acres of strawberries, with you-pick prices ranging from $1.50 to $2.50 per pound.

"Our strawberries are looking good," says Oak Haven farm owner Karen Stauderman, who grows berries conventionally near Sorrento. "It will be slow at first, but we welcome everyone to come out and enjoy a day at the farm. We always have lots of families and senior citizens who come out and have fun picking berries."

Conventional farmers grow berries in mounded rows of soil mulched with black plastic out of which two to three lines of trailing plants protrude and flourish. Pickers at these farms squat or bend over to collect berries by the bucketful. These operations have been the norm for decades, but hydroponic farms are gaining in popularity.

There are now more hydroponic you-pick strawberry farms in Central Florida than in-ground operations.

Many Central Florida growers are using the "Verti-Gro," hydroponic system developed by Tim Carpenter of Summerfield. The system has received national attention since being featured at Epcot's "Living with the Land" exhibit.

With this system, pickers reach up, instead of stooping over, to pluck fruit off of vines planted in vertical growing frames. Multiple plants hang in upright stacks suspended from pipes through which nutrient-enriched water flows.

Because of sterile conditions with the hydroponic system, few pesticides are needed, growers say.

The systems also take up less acreage for the same yields, and many hydroponic farmers are able to enclose their plants in greenhouses to protect the fruit from cold snaps and extend the growing season.

No matter how they are grown, strawberries are easy berries to pick. The plants do not have briars or thorns and they grow in clusters, making a bucketful come easy.

"In order to prolong the life of picked berries, make sure you leave the green cap on them when they're picked," says Charles Fedunak, an agent at the Lake County Cooperative Extension Service in Tavares. Strawberries can be expected to stay in their peak quality state for five to seven days if kept cool.

Fedunak expects the 2001-2002 season to be a good year for strawberries.

"We recently planted two 5-by-20-foot beds in our Discovery Gardens here in Tavares to show people how easy strawberries are to grow in the home garden," Fedunak says, referring to the "Sweet Charlie" variety berries that are popular at many you-pick farms.

Most of the you-pick farms are in rural areas of Lake and Marion counties with just a few scattered throughout the rest of Central Florida.

"Strawberries are a very cost-intensive fruit to produce and liability insurance at you-pick farms is always expensive," says Richard Tyson, extension agent at the Seminole County Cooperative Extension Service. "That's why most of the farms are located in areas where the land cost is less expensive."

Stauderman's Oak Haven Farm in Sorrento has been in operation for five years, and includes a roadside produce stand in addition to the you-pick berry farm. The produce stand, which specializes in the sale of pre-picked strawberries and vegetables, is also well-known for homegrown "Sorrento Sweet Onions," available during January and February.

Lake County's Far Reach Farm has been providing you-pick strawberries to the area for six seasons, and its 12 acres are home to 30,000 plants.

Operated by Karen and Jerry Brothers, the farm on South Dora Boulevard in Tavares, will open to the public in January.

Three you-pick hydroponic farms in Marion County and one each in Orange, Lake and Polk Counties, give pickers more options and are already full of fruit.

Picking In Paradise's, a you-pick strawberry farm started by Tim Carpenter in Marion County just north of The Villages is now operated by his brother, Wendell, and is located next to the Markets of Marion. The Verti-gro offices, which are about three miles away, also offer tours for groups and workshops on strawberry growing for the home gardener. They also sell their Verti-Gro systems, greenhouse kits, organic fertilizers and other products from their Summerfield location.

Adams Berry Farm in Winter Garden is a 2-year-old farm using Verti-Gro's vertical garden system.

Located in west Orange County, Adams farm is often visited by residents of Orange, Osceola and Lake counties.

Robert and Debby Adams grow strawberries, lettuce, herbs and various greens without using pesticides at the small farm off County Road 545.

This year, they are growing mainly Sweet Charlie berries. They also sell much of their produce at the College Park Grower's Market at Albert Park on Edgewater Drive in Orlando from 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays.

Strawberry Cove is the newest you-pick berry farm in Lake County, and the first hydroponic operation to open in Lake County. Surrounded by acres of you-pick citrus, the farm on North Buckhill Road in Howey-in-the-Hills, has hydroponic growing systems in indoor greenhouses and outdoor gardens.

More than 16,000 strawberry plants grow in vertical stacks that allow pickers easy access.

Alan Starbird, owner of Strawberry Cove who works at night as a nurse at South Lake Hospital in Clermont, has high hopes for the farm.

"I want to do away with the middleman. People can come here directly to get fresh produce and taste the difference," Starbird says.

In addition to berries, Strawberry Cove has you-pick citrus, lettuce, tomatoes, basil, sage and cucumbers.

Like many other hydroponic farmers, Starbird uses predator bugs instead of pesticides in his operation.

Copyright © 2001, Orlando Sentinel