It’s strawberry season in the Midcoast, and folks of all ages are flocking to local farms to get their hands on the goods. Turns out this season is as good as any to get picking.

“We broke records last year, but this year is turning out to be even better,” said Pete Karonis, who co-owns Fairwinds Farms in Bowdoinham with his wife, Nancy. “The weather has been warm and dry, which is ideal for growing strawberries.”

They point to a mild winter and low rainfall totals this spring as catalysts for their bountiful harvest. But when the season began, signs didn’t immediately suggest the current bonanza.

“When we took the straw off the plants this spring, we were concerned,” said Kathy Karonis, who found that the plants were quite withered to start 2016. “The thinking last year was that the heavy snowfall helped blanket our plants. We had hardly any snow this year, so at first we thought the bare elements had harmed the plants. But by the first of May they had rebounded, and we haven’t looked back.”

A typical June day on the 16-acre farm sees over 2,000 pickers come and go, each taking multiple quarts of berries home with them.

“I’ve been picking here for 17 years,” said Jonathon Dawson of Pownell, who was grazing the fields with his wife and two sons on Thursday. “I grew up down the road, and it’s nice to come back and bring the kids.”

The couple hosted Kids Day just last week, where youngsters 12 and under could pick a quart of berries for free. This weekend there will be a private birthday party on the farm, along with a Gelato Fiasco stand that will be giving out free samples of their strawberry gelato, which is made from fresh Fairwinds Farm berries.

“Last night’s rain made picking conditions even stronger,” said Kathy Karonis.

“Since the berries don’t need a ton of water, we only irrigate when we have to. A little rain here and there makes it easier on us and our staff.”

The farm employs around 30 high schoolers to help pick their wholesale and farm stand berries. They also grow a variety of vegetables including peas, lettuce and tomatoes, along with blueberries and raspberries. But strawberries are their top product, and this is peak season.

“We have two more weeks before the season winds down,” said Pete Karonis. “So come on out, bring your kids, and get picking.”

bgoodridge@timesrecord.com