Community Corner
‘Strawberry Festival Day' Marked At Louisiana Legislature — Without Strawberries
It's typically easy to tell when the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival is approaching, even without a calendar.
- April 12, 2023
13:26
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‘Strawberry Festival Day’ marked at Louisiana Legislature — without strawberries
By: Greg LaRose - April 12, 2023 1:26 pm
Find out what's happening in Across Louisianafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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It’s typically easy to tell when the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival is approaching, even without a calendar, at the Louisiana State Capitol. Ahead of the event, Tangipahoa Parish farmers will bring samples of the state’s official fruit from their fields to the Senate and House of Representatives, filling the chambers with a their aroma.
House lawmakers officially declared Tuesday “Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival Day,” but the fruit was nowhere to be found. Rep. Bill Wheat, who sponsored the resolution for his hometown’s annual event, said strawberries are in short supply at what’s usually the peak of the season.
A fungus has limited strawberry crop yields this year in Tangipahoa Parish, and recent heavy rains have affected harvests, Wheat said. The number of farmers who grow strawberries is also on the decline.
The LSU AgCenter reported a warmer January and February boosted strawberry growth this year. Landry-Poche Strawberry Farm in Livingston Parish has produced good strawberry yields, but some farmers have experienced losses as a result of the fungus that can spread through the air or by hand when workers tend crops.
According to Wheat’s resolution to honor the festival, Louisiana’s 47 strawberry growers raise their fruit on a combined 199 acres of land. That’s down from 83 growers on more than 380 acres in 2012, according to the LSU AgCenter.
The 51st annual Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival takes place this Friday through Sunday in Memorial Park.
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Greg LaRose has covered news for more than 30 years in Louisiana. Before coming to the Louisiana Illuminator, he was the chief investigative reporter for WDSU-TV in New Orleans. He previously led the government and politics team for The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com, and was editor in chief at New Orleans CityBusiness. Greg's other career stops include Tiger Rag, South Baton Rouge Journal, the Covington News Banner, Louisiana Radio Network and multiple radio stations.
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The Louisiana Illuminator is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization driven by its mission to cast light on how decisions are made in Baton Rouge and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians, particularly those who are poor or otherwise marginalized.
