Tucked away in Otter Tail County, Minn., you’ll find a field of strawberries with laughter coming out of each row. From grandparents assisting little ones on the perfect berry to pick to children snacking on more strawberries than end up in their bucket, it’s evident that in this field memories are made. Which is why to Cordell and Kris Huebsch, their farm, Otter Berry Farm, is so important.
“Now having a commodity where your customers come right out, we did not anticipate being able to see the joy or the emotion involved in picking strawberries,” Kris Huebsch, said. “It’s the best part.”
Otter Berry Farms offers both a you pick experience as well as pre-picked strawberries for their customers. Photo taken June 28, 2021 in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. (Emily Beal / Agweek)
Kris and her husband, Cordell, both come from farming backgrounds and both hold degrees in agriculture. Running a diversified operation, the pair decided to incorporate strawberries into their farm in 2016. Due to strawberries taking one full year to grow and be harvested, they had their first strawberry crop in 2017. The new endeavor has been exciting, but has come with its fair share of ups and downs.
“The weather is a substantial part of when we can open and when we can have people out. It was looking like a pretty good crop,” Huebsch said.
Otter Berry Farms is a short drive from Detroit Lakes, making it a perfect place for families to visit while spending time at the lake. Photo taken June 28, 2021 in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. (Emily Beal / Agweek)
That was until Memorial Day weekend when the strawberries were exposed to much colder than average weather for the year and could not withstand the frost. Due to the cold spell, 40% of Otter Berry Farm’s strawberry crop was lost. Then a week later, the temperature exceeded over 100 degrees, also taking its toll on the berries.
“Those extremes are something we have been trying to deal with. What happens with those extremes is strawberries try to go dormant again because its so cold. But then it gets hot, and they want to ripen fast. We’re extremely lucky we only lost that percentage, and we have been able to open and have a harvest,” Huebsch said.
Otter Berry Farms is a short drive from Detroit Lakes, making it a perfect place for families to visit while spending time at the lake. Photo taken June 28, 2021 in Otter Tail County, Minnesota. (Emily Beal / Agweek)
The Huebschs have friends and fellow strawberry farmers that were so impacted by the turbulent weather that they were unable to open their fields to the public this berry picking season.
Otter Berry offers two different options for their customers to acquire their strawberries: a you-pick experience or pre-picked berries. Due to the weather conditions of this growing season, Otter Berry’s you-pick season will be cut shorter than normal, as they are headed to the tail end of their harvesting season.
“We’re just thankful we were able to provide some what of a crop to people. We will be here next year and hopefully Mother Nature is a little bit nicer to us,” Huebsch said.
Otter Berry Farms also offers fun fall farm memories for families to enjoy in their corn maze and pumpkin patch. For more information, visit https://www.otterberryfarm.com.