Cold spring delays Minn. strawberry season

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- The cold spring has pushed Minnesota's strawberry season back by one to two weeks, but growers are reporting fields full of blooms that promise to become sweet, juicy berries.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture says metro area growers expect to open for picking next week, with the peak coming over the long July Fourth holiday weekend. That's a change from most years when Independence Day signaled the end of metro strawberry season.

Minnesota's berry season progresses from south to north with northern farms normally opening at least one to two weeks later than their metro counterparts.

The department says consumers can expect to see blueberries and raspberries follow the trend and ripen one to two weeks later than usual. These berries typically ripen just as the strawberry season wraps up.