Berry, berry early
Strawberries, blueberries, peaches well ahead of schedule.
That ridiculously mild winter, and the warm start to spring are having a powerful impact on seasonal fruits.
The strawberries are showing up a week earlier than usual, according to Butch Sparacio, owner of Sparacio Farms in Bridgeton, N.J. Not only that, they are huge and juicy.
"The crop is probably the best it's been in the history of he farm," he said, and he's been around for 35 years.
Blueberries and peaches are on a pace to show up seven to 10 days earlier than normal, according to Bob Von Rohr, with Jersey Fruit, a farm cooperative that represents major blueberry and peach growers.
He expects to see blueberries by June 1, and peaches by July 1.
Get them while you can: The downside is that since the seasons are starting earlier, they'll also end earlier, he said.