NZ: Late but berry nice all the same

A "phenomenal" late raspberry season this year has boosted morale for berrygrowers and sellers, as customers reach for fresh fruit to help quench their summer thirst. Wee Red Barn owner Alan Bissett said he had about 22 pickers hard at work on the last of the raspberry harvest, with a fresh batch of strawberries also about to ripen. Although the raspberries ripened late, they did arrive in time for "the two biggest days of the year, December 23 and December 24", Mr Bissett said. Demand was high on the day of Christmas Eve, with 50-60 people queuing up at the Wee Red Barn's opening time, despite an increased roadside presence elsewhere as an attempt to ease the burden.

Although closed on Christmas Day, the raspberry harvest "peaked on Christmas week" with pickers pulling "250kg-300kg a day" off the bushes. "But then this week has been similar ... it seems to be quite relentless." The business has "had to get out there and sell" with streetside stalls to offload the bounty. "It's not like potatoes; you can hold on to potatoes." Investment in rain protection paid off this year in protecting the berries, but the rain still kept buyers away, Mr Bissett said. The Wee Red Barn does freeze some berries for the offseason for Wairarapa customers "who come to us all the time". Many businesses come knocking at all times of the year for berries to make smoothies. "The invention of the smoothie machine has been a great thing for us." On top of this, the Wee Red Barn has begun selling berries through the internet, with many going to Auckland. "That's going well; that's like a new store for us."

Greytown horticulturist Colin Palmer grows berry bushes for cuttings and sells the fruit as pick-your-own. "Raspberries with a late start have been phenomenal," Mr Palmer said. Fortunately the business has "just had huge numbers of people, mainly from Wellington, coming through the door". Mr Palmer said the business was "in a situation where we cannot open every day" to keep a supply of ripe fruit on the bushes.

Source: times-age.co.nz