04/10/2021
Hello loyal customers as you can tell we haven't been open very much since we opened in March and the reason for that is there has been a shortage of strawberries this year unlike any in the 30 years I've been selling strawberries. Usually when strawberries are in short supply it's because of rain and it's only for a very short period of time, but this year the short supply is for two entirely different reasons. The first reason is because there was a freak hail storm where the berries are grown about a month ago which damaged the fruit in each stage of development from flower to fully ripe, but even more devastating to the volume of strawberries that the plants are producing is there was a problem with a lot of the strawberry plants at a few of the big nurseries while they were being cultivated, which has caused the strawberry production of these plants to be very low. This is a very big issue because more than 50% of the strawberry plants that were planted this year are having this problem. These two factors have caused a very steep increase in the wholesale price of strawberries which is why I have not been open very often. I have been hoping the price would come down so I could be open without having to raise my prices but it does not look like that is going to happen any time soon, if at all this year, so I have had to make a choice which is to either stay closed or raise my prices to stay even with the increased cost at the wholesale level. I absolutely hate raising my prices and have only done so four times in the last 31 years prior to this year and I have a good never raised them more than $2 a flat any of the other times I have raised the price, but unfortunately to keep even with the increase in the wholesale price I will have to raise the strawberries to $35.00 a flat from $27.00 and the half flats are going to be raised to $18.00 from $15.00. Again I am so sorry I have to do this and I promise that if my wholesale price goes back to what it was I will lower my retail prices back to what they were. Thank you so very much for understanding and I realize some people might not be able to afford to buy strawberries anymore at these prices and for that I am truly sorry and as I said earlier I really wish I did not have to do this. My wife and I and our families wish all of you our best and again thank you for understanding.
Gary from Bob and Gary's Field Fresh Berries
