Before You Come...
+ Call or Check Facebook to make sure we are open
+ Check the weather conditions and dress accordingly
+ We use straw mulch to help keep you and the berries clean
+ Please dress family appropriate (i.e. save swimwear for the beach)
+ You may want a hat, sunscreen and mosquito repellent
+ A cooler and ice packs will help keep your berries nice for longer
+ You can pick into your own container - any size or shape - 4 liter ice cream pails are ideal
+ Show us your container so we can get the empty weight*
+ We also sell containers (container included with pre-picked)
+ Please respect our property and follow signs and verbal instructions
+ PLEASE keep pets on a leash next to your vehicle, and clean up after them
+ Check the weather conditions and dress accordingly
+ We use straw mulch to help keep you and the berries clean
+ Please dress family appropriate (i.e. save swimwear for the beach)
+ You may want a hat, sunscreen and mosquito repellent
+ A cooler and ice packs will help keep your berries nice for longer
+ You can pick into your own container - any size or shape - 4 liter ice cream pails are ideal
+ Show us your container so we can get the empty weight*
+ We also sell containers (container included with pre-picked)
+ Please respect our property and follow signs and verbal instructions
+ PLEASE keep pets on a leash next to your vehicle, and clean up after them
Tips for Picking
+ Strawberries are a delicate fruit. Handling them gently will help them last longer
+ Look at the berry before you pick it. For the best flavour and for better future picking, the berries you pick should be completely red
+ The leaves of the plants hide many berries, use your hands to part the leaves
+ Pick the berry by pinching the green stem, leave the green on the berry until you are ready to eat it
+ Please pick ALL the red berries you find in your row. A ripe berry that gets left behind will start to rot and can make all the berries next to it rot also
+ It helps us and future customers if you pick rotten and damaged berries and leave them on the straw between the rows
+ We will assign you a row, please stay on that row, and move the flag as directed, this allows us to serve you and others better
+ We would be happy to answer any other questions you have
+ Look at the berry before you pick it. For the best flavour and for better future picking, the berries you pick should be completely red
+ The leaves of the plants hide many berries, use your hands to part the leaves
+ Pick the berry by pinching the green stem, leave the green on the berry until you are ready to eat it
+ Please pick ALL the red berries you find in your row. A ripe berry that gets left behind will start to rot and can make all the berries next to it rot also
+ It helps us and future customers if you pick rotten and damaged berries and leave them on the straw between the rows
+ We will assign you a row, please stay on that row, and move the flag as directed, this allows us to serve you and others better
+ We would be happy to answer any other questions you have
Storing Strawberries
+ Cool berries to refrigerator temperature (about 4 degrees C) as soon as you can
+ Store, lightly covered, in the refrigerator in the original container (if possible)
+ Wash just before eating or processing
+ Hull (remove the green part) after washing
+ Laying the berries on a large towel is a good way to dry them before serving or freezing
+ Most varieties are best used within three days of picking
+ Freeze on a cookie sheet, then transfer to bag/container for easy access all winter long
+ Store, lightly covered, in the refrigerator in the original container (if possible)
+ Wash just before eating or processing
+ Hull (remove the green part) after washing
+ Laying the berries on a large towel is a good way to dry them before serving or freezing
+ Most varieties are best used within three days of picking
+ Freeze on a cookie sheet, then transfer to bag/container for easy access all winter long
Who We Are
Stevens Strawberries was established in 1991 when cousins Kerry & Ron Stevens realized they couldn't survive as traditional farms only. We decided to diversify.
Little did we know that together with our families we would be growing some of the sweetest strawberries on earth.
People ask us "How do you do it?" The answer is simple: God gives the dirt, rain, and sunshine, we plant, tend and harvest those delicious berries!
The land where Stevens Strawberries is situated belongs to Kerry and Nelda Stevens. It is a second generation farm that has been in the family since 1920.
Ron and Marlene Stevens are their partners.
Little did we know that together with our families we would be growing some of the sweetest strawberries on earth.
People ask us "How do you do it?" The answer is simple: God gives the dirt, rain, and sunshine, we plant, tend and harvest those delicious berries!
The land where Stevens Strawberries is situated belongs to Kerry and Nelda Stevens. It is a second generation farm that has been in the family since 1920.
Ron and Marlene Stevens are their partners.
Our Varieties
Kent
A soft, very sweet berry that produces from mid-July to early August. Kent berries are classed as a "short day variety" (commonly referred to as June-bearing, but here in central Alberta they ripen in July).
Cavendish
A large, sweet berry. Slightly firmer than Kent, Cavendish produces from mid-July to early August. Classed as "short day variety".
Malwina
A large, dark red, flavorful berry. produces in August, classed as "short day variety". 2020 will be the first year we have more than just a few rows of this variety.
Seascape
(As of 2020 we will not have this variety - this also means that we will not have strawberries in September)
A large, firm, sweet berry that produces from mid-August until a hard frost, usually late September. Seascape berries belong to the "day neutral" family.
A soft, very sweet berry that produces from mid-July to early August. Kent berries are classed as a "short day variety" (commonly referred to as June-bearing, but here in central Alberta they ripen in July).
Cavendish
A large, sweet berry. Slightly firmer than Kent, Cavendish produces from mid-July to early August. Classed as "short day variety".
Malwina
A large, dark red, flavorful berry. produces in August, classed as "short day variety". 2020 will be the first year we have more than just a few rows of this variety.
Seascape
(As of 2020 we will not have this variety - this also means that we will not have strawberries in September)
A large, firm, sweet berry that produces from mid-August until a hard frost, usually late September. Seascape berries belong to the "day neutral" family.
Did You Know?
... our strawberries are pesticide-free. We don't spray our plants with insecticides, fungicides, or herbicides...
... however, we may do some spot spraying on the property, after the season is over, to control thistle and quack grass. This is done very carefully, as it will damage the strawberry plants as well.
... strawberries that are picked before they are ready will turn red but will NOT get significantly sweeter!
... it takes 18 days of ideal conditions to get from blossom to ripe berry.
... funny shaped berries are often from a bug, called the tarnished plant bug, feeding on the blossom and young strawberries.
... we use a machine to plant strawberries (pictured) and can plant as many as 24,000 plants in one day.
... however, we may do some spot spraying on the property, after the season is over, to control thistle and quack grass. This is done very carefully, as it will damage the strawberry plants as well.
... strawberries that are picked before they are ready will turn red but will NOT get significantly sweeter!
... it takes 18 days of ideal conditions to get from blossom to ripe berry.
... funny shaped berries are often from a bug, called the tarnished plant bug, feeding on the blossom and young strawberries.
... we use a machine to plant strawberries (pictured) and can plant as many as 24,000 plants in one day.
*Due to COVID-19, we will NOT be weighing empty containers, but will estimate their weight or use our container weights.
*Due to COVID-19, we ask that you do NOT sample fruit while picking.
COVID-19 is not a foodborne illness! The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) states that there is currently no evidence that food can be a source or route of transmission of the virus.