Strawberry farms bursting with strawberries and safety rules this season

The 2020 strawberry season ... well ... it looks a little bit different this year. The fields are bursting with strawberries — or will be soon. But, this season, hand sanitizers and masks will be a common sight too.

More than two dozen strawberry farms across the region are open, or plan to be open, within the next week or so. And many are sharing pictures of bumper crops of strawberries on their social media pages. But they've also instituted some new policies and procedures to ensure that everybody stays healthy - the farmers and the strawberry lovers - during the pandemic.

Farms are asking strawberry pickers to stay at least six feet away from other customers. They're providing hand sanitizer or hand-washing stations at farms and, in some cases, employees will be wearing gloves and masks as they interact with customers. Some have set up tape at the cash register or a barrier to keep customers and employees from getting too close. And a few farms are just selling pre-picked berries instead of opening up the fields for pick-your-own.

Pick-your-own: Where to find strawberry farms in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill