Strawberry Picking Resumes in January 2009
We paid a visit to the Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad, Benguet a few days ago to go strawberry picking, and were told by the nice ladies at the entrance that strawberry picking will start in January yet. The reason they gave us was that they started planting pretty late this season.
I guess, with the weather being so unpredictable, with the rainy season not being what it usually is, the folks in La Trinidad waited a little longer before planting their famous strawberries lest they get ruined by any coming typhoons (remember how we experienced a typhoon as late as January this year?)
Thus this is sad news for all those coming up for the Christmas holidays. And I am writing this to save you the trouble of going to La Trinidad for this purpose.
I have written before that Strawberry Season Opens in November, which is still true in the sense that the deliciously sinful fruit becomes available at the Baguio City Market and in other market stalls.
However, I am pleased to inform everyone that the prices of strawberries has gone down considerably — from the Php250.00 that it was during the Nov. 30 weekend to just Php80.00 this week. Well, actually a basket with one kilo of the fruit cost an additional Php10.00. But if you take them home in those cartons, no extra charge. And of course when the supply exceeds the demand during the holidays, expect prices to go up.
Our visit to the Strawberry Farm was on a Thursday, which coincided with my mini-business of a vegetable dealership, so it we did not really go out of our way. Plus I kinda missed eating at the main branch of Jack’s Restaurant (will do a feature on them pretty soon).
When we got there, there were still some tourists who had to content themselves with buying baskets of freshly-picked strawberries so they pretty much missed out on the experience, which usually costs double of the market price of a kilo of strawberries. Folks who have gone orange or apple picking in the US find this perplexing but I always explain that apples and oranges are “sturdy” fruits compared to berries. A lot of the latter gets ruined by amateurs picking them.
We just...
Hi Lisa, also had my first taste of strawberries last week. The good ones were selling at 150ps a kilo in the market. What I got were the 100ps a kilo and got a half-kilo. Despite being small sized, they were sweet. Went well with the waffles. Slurrp.
Hi Resty, I must say that the ones we got from Strawberry Farm were perfect, too! They were large and ready to eat but too ripe. And the ones in the bottom of the basket were not too small either. I guess there would be an advantage to getting them direct from the source than from resellers at the market. All b & b guests got a taste with whipped nestle cream and sugar, too.
Oh yes the sinfully good whipped nestle cream and fresh strawberries are good…but i love topping the strawberries and whipped cream in crushed grahams crust! oh yes with chocolate syrup too!
Oh yes! Try this on for size: vanilla ice cream on any kind of chiffon cake (even stale ones, mind you) topped with strawberries and, yes, chocolate syrup!!!
fresh strwberries, well they’re sour and a little sweet. When is the strawberry festival.
Hi Bok,
Strawberry Season is from November to May while La Trinidad usually holds a strawberry festival along with the Adivay (their “fiesta”) in November.
hi… were planning to go to baguio this march … can’t wait… looking and reading your site everytime i have a time.. great help.. thanks a lot.
Hey Cris,
Thanks for dropping by — I’m sure you’ll have grand old time here in March!
hi lisa
hope you could help me with this cant decide which house would i choose..i found a transient house near imelda village rd. brookside and one in greenwater village… just want to ask yung best transient house in terms of accessibility to transportation and places we would like visit… thanks a lot!
Hi Cris,
In terms of accessibility to transportation, Imelda Village (but that’s a whole lot of houses by the riverbanks so I do not like the neighborhood. Greenwater has a jeepney line and when you walk to Military Cut off and turn right and walk a few meters, you will be on Upper Session Road and Loakan. As for both neighborhoods, I prefer Greenwater because it seems safer. But take note, both are not subdivisions, ok? Maybe you’d be better off at Montecillo still. Better neighborhood.
Hi Lisa Im from a television network in Manila. We would like to feature Strawberry Farm in one of our show. Do you have any contact number of the owner manager or anyone from the Farm? Hope to hear from you very soon as our target shoot is this Sunday March 1 2009. Thank You very Much. heres my email ad josephjohn_fernandez@yahoo.com. Tnx again
Sorry Joseph John, no cellphone contact info. It’s not like the Strawberry Farm is a hacienda with an office.
You may want to send a scout to get more info for your television show, or to perhaps set an appointment because sometimes they run out of strawberries for picking.
liz, its martha. read about your mamita. really something about us, connected. Have to confirm with mom and my aunts because I’m from the family of Foz-Zaragoza-Ravago. Recently I received photos of other aunts and my great grandfather….I’m so awake now with this added info of yours. Charina Zaragoza is a cousin of my mom….so there must be a connection. Then Katrina Chamsay is your cousin, my friend here.
We’ve got to get together.real soon.
My old computer crashed on me and lost your contact.
Please continue your writings, you write well and you are an inspiration.
Take care!
Hi Martha (Bidang),
Yo soy tisoy (tisay doesn’t rhyme)! Then we’re cousins, because both my grandfather and grandmother were Zaragozas, too, and Charina is my aunt. Now I have to call you guys Martha and Manny! Tell Joanna and Justin to start calling me Tita. Hahaha.
Yes, Katrina is my first cousin. Her mom Ma. Eugenia “Gene” Araneta who married Agustin “Tuting” Perdices is my father’s eldest sister. Katrina and her husband Wally talk about this “uber-rich eccentric woman from Baguio who loves gardening” (Wally’s exact words) at Alexandra.
I will leave my contact info at O Mai Khan.
Miss you guys! Baguio isn’t the same without you!
try to visit also my province sagada a beautiful place you will never regret if you go there^^
Oh yes, Casper!
I just came from Sagada a few weeks ago (my third visit in recent years) and am so in love with your charming little town.
Am working on a full travel guide for Sagada at Go Baguio!. So far I have written How to Get to Sagada via Baguio City, and How to Get to Sagada from Manila via Banaue so that folks will have an easier time getting there (it’s editing 600 photos that’s taking me so looong to finish the full section), then you guys can take it from there and give the folks the extraordinary vacation that Sagada always delivers.
You guys rock!
hi lisa, thanks for the info. by the way, were planning to visit this november, is this the best time? super thanks in advance…
Hi clumsygirl,
Usually, strawberries are ready for picking by November, if the Philippines wet season ends as usual by September. Strawberries are cheapest in January.
Hello Lisa, I stumbled on your website as I check on Baguio. I am a Malaysian, hoping to visit Baguio for the first time from 18th to 20th November 2009. I am interested in strawberry picking too. I wonder if the two very terrible typhoons that devastated Manila recently has any negative effect on Baguio.
Hi Agnes,
We do not expect strawberry picking to go on as scheduled in November, as that area in La Trinidad is precisely that which experienced flooding. So the farmers will probably be ready only in January.
Since your visit will coincide with the Ad Congress, you can be sure that Baguio City will be filled with fun activities to keep you busy. There are of course the Baguio classics — horseback riding and boating that you will probably enjoy, too.
November generally has lovely, chilly weather very similar to Genting Highlands (was there last year) and it’s a city with a lot of shopping for artifacts and other ethnic stuff, plus strawberry products and preserves to try.
We may just not have ENOUGH strawberries for picking but there’s a good chance they’ll appear in the Cafe by the Ruins “Strawberry Festival” menu by then.
Hi Lisa,
I appreciate your site. Very informative! I am planning to visit Baguio tomorrow with my family till Jan. 1 (spur of the moment plans). I wanted to have my kids experience Strawberry picking. I got confused by your info that picking will start January, is that 2010?
I plan to go there Thursday morning, Dec. 31 and follow your suggestion at Jack’s. Will there be strawberry picking open?
Hope to hear from you soonest. Thank you!
Strawberries at 35-40 pesos a half kilo.