‘A very anxious time': What a chilly May means for Ontario's berry season
After a spring marked by unusually cool temperatures, Ontario berry farmers are anxiously holding onto a glimpse of hope for some warm sunshine.
Ontario's berry harvest is off slow start thanks to a colder-than-usual May that has come with temperatures not seen since 1967.
'We're a little behind, but if we get a good June and July, we can catch up quick,' said Greg Downey, owner of Downey's Farm in Caledon. 'The earlier the season can get going, the better.'
While the conditions didn't bring the kind of frost that can devastate early blossoms, growers said it did delay bloom and pollination, which pushed harvest timelines back by about a week or more in some areas.
Jeff Tichelaar of Tichelaar Berry Farms in the Niagara region said their strawberries, which are usually ready around Victoria Day, just become available this past Monday.
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'We're all a little later than normal, but some summer sunshine is just what we need,' he said. 'The crop looks great. We just have to wait a little longer than usual.'
However, waiting is often the hardest part, Tichelaar added.
'You get anxious,' he said. 'But at some point, you realize you can't worry about what you can't control. It always seems to work out'
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That sense of hopefulness is something growers across Ontario are echoing.
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Pam Rolph-Romeril, grower and retailer at Pine Farm Orchard in King City, Ont., said this year's long bloom was a double-edged sword.
'It was good for pollinators, but a long bloom can also bring diseases and too much fruit,' she said. 'And then there's hail … it didn't hit us too badly this year, but there is always that chance.'
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Back in 2012, hailstorms ruined 80 per cent of the crops on their farm, Rolph-Romeril said.
'It's a very anxious time. Anytime we sense severe weather patterns, we get nervous,' she said.
Still, Rolph-Romeril is optimistic.
'We're almost on schedule for the season and have plenty of time to catch up before the picking season starts,' she said.
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Downey, who grows strawberries and raspberries, told Global News that the late start might work in his favour.
'Sometimes my strawberries come in early June, but I prefer them in July when the kids are out of school,' he said.
He further explained that the delay means more people would be able to start picking when the fruit is at its ripest stage, potentially boosting sales.
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The shared faith that nature sometimes self-corrects has many Ontario farmers optimistic that a sunny June and July will turn things around.
According to Global News chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell, that hope isn't misplaced.
'May 2025 in the GTA featured some cool and unsettled stretches where it rained frequently but when the final numbers are added up at the end of the month, it'll actually be as close to 'normal' as you can get,' Farnell said. 'More importantly, there was no late frost this year, something that's decimated the summer crop by killing early fragile buds.'
Farnell added warmer weather is expected to kick in as June begins, with most days reaching the mid-to-upper 20s.
'We'll likely see some heat waves in late June and July, which can actually help make fruit sweeter if it's not too severe,' he said.
Growers are also hopeful that public support will help boost this year's harvest season, even after some of the delays.
'There's been a big 'Buy Canadian' shift recently,' said Downey. 'With all the issues at the border, people are choosing local. That gives us a lot of optimism.'
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