A Bumper Berry Crop Has Quebec Farmers Scrambling To Sell
A hotter than usual summer is bringing an influx of fresh berries to Montreal market stalls and grocery stores—a treat for local fruit lovers, that's leaving many farmers in the lurch.
"This season has been rock and roll so far. It started with a bang due to a warm April and hasn't let up," said Marc-André Isabelle, owner of La Belle de Coteau-du-Lac family farm, an hour west of Montreal.
Isabelle saw his first strawberry crop arrive nearly two weeks earlier than expected, sowing a number of challenges. The migrant workers scheduled to arrive for the usual start to the season, not only missed the earliest haul, but many have since been delayed by strict quarantine measures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Isabelle, his brother and their parents have been faced with losing their produce, or handpicking it themselves.
Published on CJAD 800.
