‘It was just crazy’: Berry Barn owner caught off guard by quick ripening harvest

(Carla Shynkaruk/CTV News)

If you’ve been waiting to pick Saskatoon berries, now’s the time to get out to your favourite spot.

An unusual mix of heavy rainfall followed by hot, humid weather has caused this year’s crop to ripen much faster than expected, catching even longtime growers by surprise. At the Berry Barn, picking season is officially in full swing, but days are numbered.

Visitors are already taking advantage of the early harvest. One picker filled more than half a pail in less than 30 minutes, thanks to the abundance of ripe berries at the berry patch on Valley Road.

Co-owner Grant Erlandson, who has spent 29 years in the Saskatoon berry business, says last season saw a bumper crop, but he’s never seen a season quite like this one.

“I was telling everybody it was going to be another seven to 10 days,” Erlandson told CTV News.

He says the transformation happened almost overnight.

“I was shocked when my staff told me the berries were ready. We went out and looked, and sure enough, they’d ripened in just two or three days. It was just crazy.”

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Erlandson credits the rapid change, which started with Mother Nature dumping some rain.

“We got two or three inches of rain over a weekend, then the heat came, and things just exploded.”

The accelerated ripening has created a short harvest window, but customers say the crop has been worth the rush.

“They’re so plump this year. They were good last year, but they’re even better this year,” Jade Champion said.

According to Erlandson, the earliest the farm has ever opened for Saskatoon berry picking was the third week of June, while the latest start was the third week of July. This year’s harvest is arriving about a week earlier than that late-season timeline.

With berries ripening so quickly, Erlandson expects the Saskatoon season could wrap up before we know it.

“I’m predicting within a week we’ll probably be done with Saskatoon berries. If anybody wants to pick them, you’d better get at ‘er because they’re not going to hang around,” he said.

For many visitors, the fresh-picked berries already have a delicious future planned.

“I’m going to be turning these guys into cupcakes,” Dawn Burnside said.

“Cakes, pies, cupcakes, muffins or just eat them fresh,” Champion added.

This season has been generally slower for traffic, according to the owner who attributes that to the economy and possibly high gas prices making a trip to the country less appealing for some.