By Andrew Smith, OMAHA, Neb. –
For Strawberries — Full News Package by Andrew Smith: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIKdhRamLNE
It’s not the best time of year to grow strawberries in the Midwest. Locally, they won’t be in season until around June.
But one traveling produce company is giving locals a taste of Florida’s fresh strawberry harvest much earlier. The Fruit Truck, which advertises Florida-grown berries that are never warehoused, made multiple stops in the Omaha metro area last week. Around 100 customers greeted the truck at the AMC theater’s parking lot in Council Bluffs.
Jennifer Mullinix, an employee with The Fruit Truck, said strawberry season roughly runs from February to April. She travels with a group from South Dakota which handles sales along one leg of the journey.
“It’s built up a loyal following in each town,” Mullinix said. “They do a lot of advertising on Facebook, websites and newspapers.”
February and March are “peak seasons” for harvesting and eating strawberries in Florida, according to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
The company’s trucks are visiting almost 50 locations across Nebraska and Iowa in March — some more than once. They typically only spend about 30 minutes at each stop before hitting the road again. They also serve 16 other states monthly.
Sue Harter, a repeat customer, said she learned about The Fruit Truck online last year. Although she doesn’t notice much difference in taste compared to grocery store berries, she appreciates the bulk quantities sold out of the truck.
“I divvy them up for friends and just freeze some,” Harter said.
She noted they’re great for smoothies.
The Fruit Truck sells its strawberries in 8-pound flats for $30. By comparison, purchasing four 2-pound packages of Driscoll’s strawberries at Hy-Vee would cost $40 on sale, while the same amount at Walmart would total $21.92. The company also carries other produce — including cherries, peaches, pecans and mandarins — depending on the season.
The Fruit Truck’s full travel schedule can be found at myfruittruck.com/schedule.
