Ripe for the pickin' at Jones Family Farms

A Stratford family bundles up and picks strawberries at Jones Family Farms in Shelton last week. Photo by Keith Padin, Jones Family Farms

SHELTON – The strawberries are ripe and plentiful at Jones Family Farms in Shelton.
Despite a somewhat unusual spring of very hot weather and quick cool downs, not to mention torrential rain showers, the farmers at Jones’ relied on more than 45 years of growing experience to ‘weather’ the storm.
“We’ve been working hard for over 40 years to perfect a system for growing our berries in any weather condition,” said Terry Jones who has been growing berries on his family farm since the 1960s.
“Our high row beds allow the rain water to run off and not drown the berries, we stay up all night when there’s a frost warning to irrigate if necessary, and we are able to get water to our fields to keep the berries cool on those really hot and sunny days.”
Crowds have been picking strawberries this year at Jones’ since the farm opened June 6.
Many guests disembark the Berry Ferry ride with the famous Jones' Berry Box full of red fruit – perfect for jams, salads, pies, dipping and other recipes that are provided at check-out or on the farm’s website.
“Strawberry season is a stressful time for farmers. It takes a lot of hard work to nurture this fragile fruit and once they are ripe, the season can come and go in 3 to 4 weeks,” said Keith Padin, hospitality manager for the farm.
“We love seeing the crowds leaving with the ideas of what to do with the berries floating around their heads. We just hope people don’t wait too long. The strawberry season comes and goes before you can blink an eye.”
Even the weather isn’t affecting the crowds too much. According to Padin, “We’ve seen people picking in tank tops and shorts one day and in hooded sweatshirts the next. We even have those hardy New England souls who ‘buck up’ and come out in their rain coats to pick in the rain.”
Jones Family Farms is open for strawberry picking Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon.
Call the Farmer Jones hotline, 203-929-8425 for daily info on picking conditions, price and at what part of the farm the daily picking is happening.
Also visit www.JonesFamilyFarms.com, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.