Organizers of the 75th West Virginia Strawberry Festival are looking for local growers to help provide berries for a retail tent.
The festival board, the city of Buckhannon and the state Department of Agriculture are working with private farmers to have fresh strawberries available. This year’s festival runs from May 14 through 22 in Buckhannon.
Agriculture spokesman Buddy Davidson says a limited number of growers have provided berries for the market sale, but the demand has been far greater than the supply over the past two years. Growers also are challenged to get berries to ripen by mid-May. But the availability of high tunnels, or low-cost greenhouses, can allow farmers to speed up the ripening process.