The case in summary • The strawberry season in Eastern Norway now extends to October, thanks to production in plastic tunnels.• The farmer Bær in Sande is among the largest producers, with 1.3 mile long rows of strawberries in plastic tunnels.• Tunnel production provides a more predictable crop and enables production from the start of summer to September, and in good years to October.• Sales of strawberries decline after mid-August, as Norwegians are not used to having Norwegian strawberries available this late in the year.• The weather has a major impact on production, with warm in June and little sun in July which resulted in few berries, but good sunny days at the end of August and September have improved the situation.• Bama, who sell all the strawberries that are delivered to them, are happy about the extended season.• Farmer Bær started with tunnel production after diseases in the soil made field production impossible. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. Juicy, sweet and Norwegian strawberries are something we associate with hot summer days. Many people think that it ends when summer gives way. That is no longer the case. In some places, Norwegian strawberries are produced right up until October. At Bonden Bær in Sande, they have 1.3 mile long rows of strawberries. – We have lifted the production onto tables inside plastic tunnels, which means that we are able to retain the heat for longer, says managing director Erik Bonden. It gives a more predictable crop. Many thousands of strawberry baskets From next year, the strawberry rows will be even longer, up to 2.6 miles. It is a stretch as long as from Holmestrand to Tønsberg. – We are not the largest facility in Norway, but we are among the largest, says Bonden. This season he expects to produce 100 tonnes of strawberries. This corresponds to 200,000 baskets. Tunnel production contributes to Norwegian strawberries being enjoyed right from the start of summer until September. In a good year also until October. It is noticeable from the sales that Norwegians are not so used to getting Norwegian strawberries in September, says the farmer in Sande. Knut Harald Semb, who runs tunnel production in the second season at Opheim farm in Lunde in Telemark, has registered the same. – We clearly notice that sales go down after mid-August, says Semb. Knut Harald Semb is a farmer on Opheim farm in Lunde in Telemark. Photo: Private Better than in July In June there was terrible weather. Semb says that his plants almost went into shock because of the heat. Then came July with little sun, lower temperatures and rain, which resulted in little berries throughout Norway. After that, it has picked up considerably again with good sunny days at the end of August and September. – Is it unusual to have so many strawberries in September? – In any case, it is unusual to have 25 degrees Celsius in September. Everything has been shifted a bit, says Semb. At Opheim Gård in Lunde, strawberries abound. Photo: Knut Harald Semb Looking forward to a longer season Bama sells all the strawberry baskets that are delivered to them, says Anna Victoria Frogner, communications advisor at Bama. – We want to offer consumers as much Norwegian berries as possible, and we are very happy that the Norwegian strawberry season has become longer. It is the result of many years of development work and testing, with a clear goal of an extended season, she says. Their experience is that people find the baskets marked with “Norwegian strawberries” in the shops also in September and October. Several million employees When Farmer Bær contracted diseases in the soil and had to stop growing strawberries in the open, the alternative was either to stop altogether, or to start production in a tunnel. – We have taken a big chance and risk, as well as spent quite a lot of money to start this. We depend on selling strawberries throughout the season. Around 30 such boxes are distributed throughout. The insects that help with production live there. Photo: Guro Hatlo / news Apart from the 30 employees, they have up to a thousand bumblebees and a few million other small insects at work. The hops are used to pollinate the flowers to get a good and optimal pollination to get the best possible and most possible berries.
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