Strawberry harvest began in earnest over the weekend at Bardenhagen Berries in Lake Leelanau.

The Bardenhagens’ roadside farm stand at 7990 East Horn Road, Lake Leelanau, will be staffed and stocked daily during strawberry season from 9am to noon, or until they sell out.

Co-owner and berry farmer Pam Bardenhagen tells the Leelanau Ticker they are trying to keep pace with the ripening berries, “We are a bit short staffed so far. A few more folks arrived this weekend, but we have half the size crew as 2019 (pre-COVID).”

She says stay tuned on Facebook for which retail locations in Leelanau County will be getting berry drop-offs this season. “We’re just getting started,” she says.

Bardenhagen, who operates the farm with her husband Steve Bardenhagen, a 5th-generation farmer, says “his grandfather started the berries in the 1950’s…there used to be more strawberry farms in Leelanau County, but ours is now the last one standing.”

The coveted Earliglow strawberry is available first; with the entire short-but-sweet berry season running for just 2 to 3 weeks.

“Stop by and pick up a quart or two or three,” says Bardenhagen. Jam-makers and others looking for 8-quart flats are recommended to reserve them for farm pick-up on the online farmstand.

Meanwhile, Kristi Fischer, co-owner at Fischer's Happy Hour Tavern near Northport says strawberry pie season begins today (Monday, June 14) at the restaurant. Fischer uses all-local fruit in her family-recipe pies.