Portage la Prairie is one of the premiere Manitoban destinations to get fresh strawberries.

With strawberry season kicking off last week, many Portagers have been seen flocking to strawberry suppliers to get their fix.

Melanie Giffin, manager at Mayfair Farms, said this year's weather has been good for the strawberries.

"Usually the strawberries are ready around July 1," she said. "This year, however, the warm weather has helped the berries ripen much quicker, so they were ready a few weeks quicker than most growing seasons."

Ivan Hofer, co-owner of Pattern Acres, said this early summer weather has been good to the strawberries.

"The start of the season looks very promising," he said. "While we're only two days in, you can't get too optimistic because the weather could change at any moment."

See more in the Tuesday, July 3 edition of the Portage Daily Graphic.