Just looking at them makes you want to grab one up and pop it in the mouth.

And as you look at the red berries dotted along the rows, hidden like Easter eggs among the leaves, you know one thing is for certain – it’s strawberry time at Edmondson Farms.

“I know it seems a little early this year, but things started happening early for some reason,” said Edmondson Farms’ owner Glenene Edmondson.

“Everywhere you look, there are big fat juicy berries to berries that aren’t even ready yet, so what that tells me is that it’s going to be a fantastic year for strawberries,” she said.

The farm will open today for “you-pick” strawberries, she said.

“Just like the name says, we give you a bucket, and you go pick all you want,” she said. “If you’d rather we pick them, we’ve got them waiting for you.”

To help “speed up” the picking process, Edmondson’s 2-year-old granddaughter Chrissy is on the payroll.

After all, she only charges two strawberries an hour for her services.

“They’re ‘licious,” she said. “I pick strawberries. I eat ‘em. I like to smell them.”

Chrissy said the best kind of strawberries is “two.”

One might assume it’s best when there’s one for each hand.

Want to go?

Edmondson Farms is located on Racetrack Road, off Covington County Road 4 and is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Cost is $20 per flat; $11 for ½ flat; $1.25 a pound if you pick; $3.50 a quart and $1.75 a pint.

Story and photos by Stephanie Nelson