June heat wave takes its toll on Quebec strawberry crops
Strawberry farmers in Quebec are in damage control after this week's extreme heat soured the beloved summertime fruit.
Three days of above 30-degree temperatures left its mark and burned the strawberries.
On Friday, customers at the Ferme chez Mario fruits et légumes southeast of Montreal had their pick of the strawberry fields and France Hamel is one of their most loyal customers.
"The berries were excellent last weekend, they were really sweet. This week, they're a little more rare, a little bit more rotten and they're not as sweet as they were last week," Hamel said.
The change in taste is due to the recent heat wave, according to farmer Mathieu Beauregard.
"It's a fruit that prefers weather between 20 and 25 C," he said.
"The foliage goes down and the berries come to the surface and they burn like this."
Mathieu Beauregard, co-owner of Ferme chez Mario fruits et légumes. (CTV News)
The heat also kept pickers away.
"The biggest problem is people don't come to pick berries when it's hot like this. The strawberries don't wait for the client," Beauregard said.
The heat wave isn't the only challenge Quebec's strawberry producers have to weather. With an early start to the season they went head-to-head with California strawberries, which are priced at a lower rate.
Still, farmers say customers can taste the difference.
As the largest producer of strawberries in Canada, Quebec has a vast field of experience to draw from.
Beauregard has seen his share of bad weather and has diversified his crops.
He has a dedicated crew to pick the berries but he says he also needs help from the public.
"We need to have the weather on our side, we need to have people at the right time," he said.
"This week is the end of school and people need to find activities. So, if it can help people to come to the farm it will be awesome."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Killer who stabbed victim 'at least 52 times' dies in B.C. prison
A 72-year-old inmate serving a life sentence for a brutal murder that happened in Chilliwack in 2016 has died, according to the Correctional Service of Canada.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed in Beirut strike, Israel's military says
Israel said Saturday that it killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, dealing its most significant blow to the Lebanese militant group after months of fighting. There was no immediate confirmation from Hezbollah.
They hit it off on vacation but then he went silent. So she decided to pick up the phone
When a few weeks passed and Nana Prempeh still hadn’t heard from the guy she met on vacation, she turned to her friends for advice.
First Nations, Inuit and Metis leaders say work lays ahead on road to reconciliation
The Liberal party of today is not quite the same as the one elected in 2015 promising to foster new paths and nation-to-nation relationships with Indigenous Peoples, the leaders of the three national Indigenous organizations said as they look ahead to the fourth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday.
Hurricane Helene kills at least 44 and cuts a swath of destruction across the Southeast
Hurricane Helene left an enormous path of destruction across Florida and the southeastern U.S. on Friday, killing at least 44 people, snapping towering oaks like twigs and tearing apart homes as rescue crews launched desperate missions to save people from floodwaters.
Historians call it Canada's oldest standing indoor hockey arena. What's next for the Stannus Street Rink?
Windsor, N.S. has long-claimed to be the 'birthplace of hockey.' Local historians believe the game has roots in the town, located in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley.
Scientists discover hidden ancient forest on treeless island
Trees haven't grown on the Falkland Islands for thousands of years. But tree trunks and branches preserved in peat suggest the islands were once home to a forest.
American woman gets SUV stuck in elevator bay at B.C. casino
A U.S. driver somehow squeezed her vehicle through a parkade hallway at a Metro Vancouver casino Thursday, before getting stuck at an elevator bank.
After decades-long search, northern Ontario man finds vintage vehicle in Larder Lake
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.