strawberries yum yum

We went out to La Trinidad, Benguet for strawberry picking last Sunday. (Singing Strawberry Fields forever...)

As we ventured through the field, we saw Ate Sari's stall just in front of her strawberry lot. My officemates were enticed with the freshly-picked strawberries in the boxes, therefore leaving us all buying her goods. At first she was too timid to answer our questions but eventually perhaps she felt there was no escaping our curiosity. So here's some facts I just found out that day from Ate Sari.

* Those tiny things on strawberries (that we teasingly compare with blackheads) are the seeds that they plant. I honestly didn't know that. To think I never even imagined how strawberries could have emerged if I thought there were no seeds. (Germination anyone?)
* After planting the (blackhead-like) seed, we'll have to wait for 4 months before it grows into a beautiful blossom of a strawberry.
* After picking the ripened berries, just wait for two days and voila! Strawberries once more! ^_^
* The pickers do not own the plots in the Strawberry Fields. The government does.
* Just like any other job, the pickers applied to the government for the plots so they can earn a living.
* Ate Sari said that when she was still young, the fields were originally planted with wheat, not strawberries.

Aside from the strawberry info, we found out from Ate Sari's helper that most of the residents in Baguio are not really native Igorots but Ilokanos who've migrated there. It seems the government has leased the strawberry plots to Igorot families to sustain their living.

So this is Neri signing off with a handful of strawberry candies, a cone of strawberry ice cream and a bottle of sweet strawberry wine. Cheers!