Who else in the world would have a strawberry hotline other than Jerry and Nancy Suter?

You don’t need to call the hotline yet. Here’s a progress report on those red juicy fruits that will soon ripen in a field on Bixel Road between Bluffton and Pandora.

Jerry says that although earlier this month the ground temperature hit around 29 degrees he’s confident that strawberries will be at the red Suter Produce stands by early June.

According to Jerry the ground temperature is generally about 8 degree lower than the actual recorded temperature. Few people other than those who rely on growing plants for their livelihood even think about that.

No strawberries are u-pick this season and none are sold on Bixel Road. Instead, watch for the familiar red Suter Produce stands for your clue that strawberries are ready.

Locations in Bluffton and Pandora
• In Bluffton at 492 State Route 103 in front of Circle K Marathon.
• In Pandora at 503 Basinger Road (Road 5), Rodabaugh Brothers Meats.

Accompanying this story is a photo from earlier this winter when the Suter crew uncovered the strawberries from their long winter nap. Photos also show the strawberry field from earlier this week.

To put Suter’s strawberries in perspective, later this week 75,000 plants, shipped from Massachusetts, will be planted for the 2018 crop.

For your info, here’s the hotline number: 419-384-3331. Also check www.suterproduce.com for updates.