Strawberries almost ready to pick

An Iowa strawberry farmer says strawberry season is right around the corner.Bob Furleigh raises strawberries and other produce near Clear Lake. He says they picked a handful of ripe berries last week. This week’s forecast calls for rain, but Furleigh’s hoping for a little sunshine to help make the ‘berries ripe for the picking. He says the sunshine makes them form up.Furleigh says so far, his plants have stood the season well. However, he admits to a farmer’s pessimism that something could happen to damage the crop. He says last year they got a hailstorm right when his tomatoes were ripening and they had to throw away 30 to 40 bushels.Furleigh raises other crops like sweet corn, squash and pumpkins.