May is National Strawberry Month. Find a farm near you and enjoy fresh berries. You can’t beat the taste and 
flavor of local berries. For those of you in North Carolina, consider participating in “Short & Sweet Strawberry Share 2014” and you could win $500. Actually, the idea behind “Short & Sweet” works no matter where you live.
Here’s the idea: due to colder weather conditions in North Carolina (and other states), strawberry farms are faced with a challenge. The plants are putting out a huge volume of berries in a compressed time. That means many of our farmers are going to have a tough time getting their crop harvested. Let’s not let those good berries go to waste!
The North Carolina Strawberry Association is encouraging church and youth groups, work teams, families and friends to head to a nearby you-pick strawberry farm to enjoy picking strawberries together. It’s a great way to spend time with friends, teach children where food comes from, support local farmers and enjoy fresh 
strawberries, one of the gifts of spring.
“Short & Sweet Strawberry Share 2014” is all about giving back. Consider forming a team of people who pick together and give a portion to a local food pantry, soup kitchen, day care center, nursing home or other place of need.
When you share strawberries, you’re sharing pure goodness. They are chock-full of vitamins, minerals and other healthy compounds that our bodies need. And they taste great in both savory and sweet dishes. When you share strawberries that you pick on local farms, you’re supporting a local business and that gives sweet returns to the local economy.
Join us for “Short & Sweet Strawberry Share 2014” and let us know what your group is doing by sharing on the N.C. Strawberry Association Facebook page or the FaithFoodHealth Facebook page. In North Carolina, when you visit the NC Strawberry Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ncstrawberry ) and post a photo of your experience, you have a chance to win $500. Be sure to include a caption with your name, farm where you are picking, the charity you donated the berries to along with their phone number. Be sure to “Like” the page. The winning post will receive a $500 cash prize and an invitation to the Southeast Strawberry Expo at the Pinehurst Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina (Nov. 17 – 19, 2014).