Segment: Russell Farm Strawberries
Episode: S3E4
Presenter: Peter Manifis
Air Date: 1st December 2019

While many strawberries suffer taste-wise due to modern farming techniques, this is not the case at Russell Farm Strawberries.

• Russell Farms grow their strawberries the old-fashioned way – there are thousands of them, all in season right now.
• Russell Farms is a family venture with 2 locations – one on Russell Road, and one on Thomas Road.
• This is a hands-on operation, with all strawberries celebrated and nurtured.
• The longer a strawberry is left on the vine, the better – the sugar content can go from 6-9%. It might not sound like much, but the difference is clear in the taste, with the acidity level dropping.
• Russell Farms have been in operation for 30 years, so they know just when to pick the strawberries.
• The berries are grown in tunnels under plastic coverings, which works a bit like a hot house. The free-draining soil has been built up with layers of compost, and the plastic liner acts as the first line of defence against pests.
• A cocktail of good bugs is sprinkled over the strawberries, bypassing the need for pesticide.
• There are two varieties of strawberry here: the camarosa and the festival. The festival is smaller, shaped like a heart and sweeter, while the camarosa is flat bottomed and meaty, coming into its own later in the summer.
• Come down to the farm gate – the farms are open each day from 8-6.
• The Aunties test each strawberry, making sure it passes their rigorous quality control checks.
• When having strawberries and cream, be sure to eat them quickly – the cream reacts if left on the berries for around 2 minutes.