What They’re Thinking: Strawberry season in full swing

It's the sweetest - and one of the busiest - times of the year for Angie Iburg and her family at Genoa Bluffs south of Marengo.

Iburg and her husband, Jason, already grew and sold pumpkins. But the pair began planting strawberry fields three years ago on the Genoa Bluffs farm, where Iburg grew up.

Strawberry plants take a full year to produce sizable fruit, so this is the second year the couple has opened its land to customers wishing to pick their own strawberries.

Iburg, her husband and her parents, who still live on the farm, are now experiencing the overlap that comes with berries ripening in the June sun and pumpkin seedlings that need to be planted.

And since Iburg's strawberry crop is all June-bearing fruit plants, customers have only a few more weeks to enjoy the harvest.

The Gazette asked Iburg about the strawberry business and here's what she had to say:

Q: What made you want to take on a strawberry patch?

A: We started with pumpkins seven years ago, and we wanted a little extra income in the summer. My husband and I both have full-time jobs. The pumpkins were a side job to keep family working together, and we've always just loved people, talking to people who come to the farm. There's also not strawberry farms too close besides Tama and Independence.

Q: How did you get started?

A: Some places, they just do them on the ground and let them vine together. Ours are on plastic with irrigation underneath to help with weed control. It just kind of raises the beds a little bit and keeps the moisture in. Last year, we added another half acre and we couldn't keep up (with demand). We're planning on putting out another acre, so we'll have 2 acres. Every so many years, you're supposed to replace them because the berries get smaller and smaller.

Q: What kind of strawberries do you have?

A: June-bearing (plants) make bigger berries. We've tried several different varieties. We wanted something sweet and firm and something that freezes well so our customers could use them for a variety of things. Our favorites are Galletas, Jewels, Cavendish and Honeoyes.

Q: Did this spring's rainy cold spell affect your crop?

A: We were kind of worried about that doing some damage. Our berries started out a little bit slower. Last year, they were a little smaller. This year, they seemed pretty good. It's been so hot this last week so ... it really made the berries turn and the heat helped put some sugar units in.

Q: So, if we want fresh strawberries this year, we need to head out to the patch soon?

A: We're hoping that we're going to get to the end of June. The last bed started really producing good last week. We do an early and mid- and late-season patch to get us through the full month. Berries don't stop. When they need picked, they need picked.

Q: What is the appeal in coming out to your farm to pick your own strawberries?

A: We do a lot of pre-pick orders for people who call ahead, but everybody just likes the experience. I have a lot of families that say, 'I did this when I was little” or 'I did this with my kids.” Everybody wants fresh fruit. We use organic (techniques) so everyone can eat it.

l Comments: (319) 368-8516; makayla.tendall@thegazette.com

If you go:

What: Pick-your-own strawberry patch

Where: Genoa Bluffs Farm, 2168 HH Ave., Marengo

Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday

Price: $1.80 per pound for you-pick; $4.50 per pound for pre-picked berries

Info: (319) 668-8447 or genoabluffspumpkinfarm.com