The stretch of near-record high temperatures arriving in early spring is putting a strain on the more than two dozen strawberry farms across the Triangle.
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The early heat wave has caused strawberries to ripen sooner than normal. DJ's Berry Patch in Apex told WRAL News it's allowing people to pick strawberries a couple weeks earlier so the berries do not go bad.
Danny Page with Page Farms in Wake County said the heat may cause them to close earlier this season.
"It'll cut the blooms, make them short for the season, so the season might not go quite as long," Page said. "That's the reason we're going to be irrigating underneath, try to keep moisture to the plant and try to cool that plastic some."
Page said they are using a lot of water to prevent the strawberries from rotting. They are using diesel fuel to work the irrigation system, and, with high gas prices, the cost to keep the system going has risen.
"At almost $6 a gallon diesel fuel, it runs up," Page said.
While farmers in the Triangle have dealt with weather changes before, Page, who has been a strawberry farmer for nearly 20 years, said the early heat wave was unexpected.
"This year, the heat has come in earlier than what it used to," he said. "Most times it's in May before we hit a 90-degree day."
Page said they didn't have to increase prices for the "pick-your-own" berries, but they did go up a couple of dollars for "pre-picked" buckets because of a labor shortage.
DJ's Berry Patch told WRAL News they did not go up on prices this year since they went up last year.
Drought's affect on farmers
The drought is not a problem for the strawberries. Page explained a lot of rain would cause berries to fall off the vine and rot.
The lack of rain is causing issues for his other crops like small grain and hay. He said the ground is very dry, and there's no moisture for small grains like corn to sprout.
"It's going to be a short crop of hay because grass needs water," Page said.
He also said the lack of rain is hurting farmers' water supply. Many use their ponds for irrigation.