1Strawberry season has arrived, and local farmers say the crop this year is looking good.

"My crop is better than last year," Glenn Cook, co-owner of Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury, said yesterday.

Crowds began arriving at local farms last week and over the weekend to pick the fruit. Strawberry season typically lasts a few weeks and will finish by mid-July.

Matt Kozazcki said his Tendercrop Farm in Newbury opened to strawberry pickers Sunday.

"It's a steady flow; it's been good," he said.

The weather conditions have created an "excellent" crop this year, Kozazcki said, as a "steady heat" brings the best berries. High heat and super-cold days hurt crops, he said, as does too much rain, which causes the fruit to lose its flavor.

"I have a great crop," he said.

At Maple Crest Farm in West Newbury, owner John Elwell said strawberry season began about a week ago, and business has been steady. Just yesterday, by midday, about 20 cars had arrived at the farm to pick the fruit.

In these economic times, customers could be more inclined to pick their own fruit, Elwell said. At Maple Crest, he is keeping the strawberry prices the same as last year.

With the recent bout of rainy weather, the strawberry crop has been "held back a little bit," Elwell said, but as the sun now arrives, it will turn bountiful.

The perfect temperatures for strawberries are in the 60s and 70s, Elwell said, with rain arriving once a week to give moisture.

"Too much rain isn't good," he said, as it causes strawberries to wilt, develop fungus or "blow up too fast."

Cook and his staff at Cider Hill Farm are starting their third season growing some of their strawberries vertically rather than on the ground. But that area is not open to customers wanting to pick their own, Cook said, as those varieties arrive later in the season. Staff pick them, and they are sold, Cook said.

"We're still evaluating it," he said.

PICK YOUR OWN

Some of the local farms that offer strawberry picking:

Cider Hill Farm

45 Fern Ave.

Amesbury

978-388-5525

Homestead Farm & Orchard

13 Birchmeadow Road

Merrimac

978-346-8346

Long Hill Orchards

520 Main St., Route 113

West Newbury

978-363-2170

Maple Crest Farm

102 Moulton St.

West Newbury

508-641-5955

Morehouse's Wheeler Brook Farm

57 Jewett St.

Georgetown

978-352-8289

Tendercrop Farm

108 High Road

Newbury

978-462-6972