Dry spring puts a damper on local strawberry season

Two popular Pittsburgh-area farms have canceled their strawberry events amid a dry and hot spring.

Trax Farms in Finleyville announced last week they will not offer their pick-you-own program this year due to a lack of yield. Soergel Orchards has canceled its annual Strawberry Festival.

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"The berries are not developing to put the size on," said Soergel Orchards owner Randy Soergel. "They're just kind of standing still. They're there. If we get rain, they still may push forward some."

In the first five months of 2023, the National Weather Service reports a little more than 12 inches of rainfall, the lowest in the past four years. On Tuesday, there was an elevated risk of wildfires in northern Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Westmoreland counties.

Soergel said the dry spring weather and the impact on the farm's crops is unprecedented.

"I can't remember this early that we had to ever cancel. We've even had to pick strawberries in the snow. I can remember one June 7, we had snow flurries one time when we had strawberries. Something like this, I can't ever remember."

🍓🚫 Announcement: Cancellation of the Strawberry Festival 🚫🍓We are so sorry to announce the cancellation of this year's...

Trax says it plans to offer strawberries in its market when they have a supply. Soergel Orchards will offer pop-up pick-your-own events.

Soergel says its fall crops, like apples, are coming along nicely.