Yet our local strawberry industry is under threat. Cheaper imports, labour shortages and viruses and pathogens are all squeezing BC’s strawberry growers, who have seen their industry reduced to a tenth of the size it was 10 years ago.

“We need big support from locals to keep our industry alive,” says Jeff Gill, the owner of Gill Farms (the largest strawberry grower in BC) and a director of the Fraser Valley Strawberry Growers Association. “The season is only a month long, and if everyone knew that and supported our local producers, it would go a long way.”

Gill points out that strawberry growers are often pressured to convert their operations to blueberry farms, as blueberries require less labour to grow and pick and are sturdier than strawberries, which must be picked by hand and are more susceptible to root disease and viruses. These and other factors account for the disappearance of many Lower Mainland strawberry farms. There are now only half a dozen farms growing strawberries that are sold fresh and another half dozen growing strawberries for use in jam and food products.

Unlike their Californian counterparts – which are picked unripe – BC strawberries are handpicked at the height of ripeness to ensure they are sweet and bursting with flavour. This means that time is of the essence when distributing the fresh berries.

During the brief local strawberry season, Gill picks the berries very early in the morning and delivers them fresh to each Kin’s Farm Market store that day. “If we could have a day for picking and a separate day for delivering, it would be much easier for us,” he says. “But then the freshness, taste and quality would just not be there.”

With all the work that goes into growing, handpicking and distributing locally grown strawberries, you’ll want to take care of the fragile fruit. Kin’s Farm Market, one of Gill’s largest customers for the past 20 years, suggests a simple solution: eat them right away! But should you need to wait, store the unwashed berries on a paper towel in a tightly covered container in the fridge for two to three days, and wash them just before eating.

Strawberries from Gill Farm should arrive at Kin's Farm Market on the second week of June! “Local strawberries are only here for a few weeks,” Gill reminds us, “so get what you can, when you can.”