About Berries

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There’s no better way to kick off the summer than with strawberries.

For 49 weeks of the year, your local berry grower is nurturing the plants, protecting them with straw-all for that sweet unforgettable taste in the three weeks spanning the end of June and the first weeks of July.

For those strawberries to appear, remember that honeybees have pollinated the white flowers about four to six weeks before. One flower, one berry. There may be up to 10 blooms on one truss, the non-woody stem.

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Sometimes called day-neutral strawberries, these new varieties are every bit as flavourful as the strawberries ripening in June.

Ontario berry growers offer these gems from May through October frost.

Why can these berries be grown for so long? Day-neutral refers to the light sensitivity of the variety. These strawberry plants will blossom and set fruit no matter how long or short the days are.

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The bluest blueberries signal they’re ready to be picked and plunked into a pancake.

How to pick? Just cup a cluster in your hand and use your thumb to roll the blueberries into your hand. Leave the green berries for the next picking.

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Fresh or jammed?

Either way, Ontario growers produce about 12 varieties of red raspberries that are ideal for several uses.

Consumers can now buy firm, flavourful raspberries for four months rather than three weeks.

How sweet are you on raspberry pie? Freeze Ontario raspberries to enjoy year-long.

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Nothing is as quintessential to Canada Day as strawberries.

That’s why Berry Growers of Ontario invited food media and influencers to experience the heart of berry production in Ontario’s Norfolk County. 

In June 2019, journalists visited Blueberry Hill Estates, St. Williams, Ontario. Owner Nick Vranckx showcased his 13 varieties of blueberries. He’s fervently passionate about how blueberries “make your day better.”

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Articles

Berries are nutritious in so many ways!

Blueberries contain more vitamin K, which plays a role in wound healing and bone health, than other berries.

Just cup of strawberries packs in your daily quota for vitamin C.

Raspberries offer double the amount of fibre found in most other berries.

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Nothing says summer like fresh strawberries. With their sweet flavour and bright red colour, strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and disease-fighting phytochemicals.

On the nutrition front, strawberries serve up a hefty dose of heart-healthy nutrients including folate, vitamin C and potassium. In fact, one cup of sliced strawberries delivers 97 milligrams of vitamin C – more than a day’s worth!

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Whether you add them to smoothies or salads, or eat them on their own, you can’t beat the delicious taste and nutrient profile of raspberries – they’re one of my favourite summer fruits!

Raspberries have a reputation for being a super fruit, and for good reason.  They’re high in fibre and packed with powerful disease-fighting antioxidants.  In fact, raspberries rank in the top 50 foods when it comes to their antioxidant powers.

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Whether you add them to smoothies or salads, or eat them on their own, you can’t beat the delicious taste and nutrient profile of raspberries – they’re one of my favourite summer fruits!

Raspberries have a reputation for being a super fruit, and for good reason.  They’re high in fibre and packed with powerful disease-fighting antioxidants.  In fact, raspberries rank in the top 50 foods when it comes to their antioxidant powers.

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Eating blueberries every day improves heart health.

Eating one cup (150 g) of blueberries a day reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease, according to new research led by the University of East Anglia. The new findings suggest that eating 150 g of blueberries daily reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 15 per cent.

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Most members of the Berry Growers of Ontario are family run farms.

Several of them are multi-generational operations that have, over time, finely honed stewardship of their land through innovative and sustainable agricultural practices. These include the introduction of new varieties of berries, such as the high bush blueberries, to increasingly northern locations of Ontario for the first time.

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Berry growers in Ontario use advanced methods of sustainable berry cultivation, harvesting and packaging.

Many are multi-generational, family-run operations. They steward the land through techniques such as soil testing, crop rotation and mulching with biodegradable materials. Straw is commonly used to protect strawberries and suppress weed competitors.

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Berry Growers in Ontario are increasingly using sustainable forms of packaging to deliver their berries to consumers.

The move towards sustainable packaging has been hastened with the 2019 Canadian government announcement of a ban on harmful, single-use plastic by 2021.

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What's the best time to pick berries?

Ontario berries are always best at their peak freshness, and timing depends on their variety and geography. As a general rule, Ontario field berries can be purchased anytime from May through October, while Ontario greenhouse berries are available almost all year-round.

Blueberries are picked July, August, and September.

About the Berry Growers of Ontario

The Berry Growers of Ontario (BGO), a provincial organization regulated by the Farm Products Marketing Act, represents blueberry, raspberry, and strawberry growers by funding industry promotion, research activities and educational events for the benefit of its members.

BGO is active in all facets of the berry industry from wholesale and retail to pick-your-own and on-farm markets on behalf of its approximately 200 members. BGO also works closely with the Agribusiness value chain with current farm gate value for fresh Ontario berries estimated in excess of $40 million annually.

Local, field-grown berries can now be enjoyed from May until October. Your local growers are using new growing techniques to serve up flavourful, fresh Ontario berries for five months of the year. And recently, Ontario greenhouses began selling greenhouse-grown strawberries with great success, providing local strawberries to Ontario consumers year-round.

Our Vision

To provide consumers with current, reliable information about Ontario’s thriving local berry market, and to support Ontario berry grower efforts to increase the availability of fresh, flavourful Ontario-grown berries throughout the year.

Our Mission

We will work with growers and customers to ensure a healthy, satisfying local berry-eating experience. We will return exceptional value to our growers by focusing on the needs that contribute to their success.

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