I farm: “Four acres of strawberries, all of which are under cover. Of that, three acres are in polythene tunnels and the last acre is glasshouses. We hire a number of students and have two or three full-time staff, depending on the time of the year. The brand we go by is Sliabh Luachra Strawberries.”

Strawberries: “I’m the fifth generation of fruit growers. I started in vegetables and stayed in that for 10 years, but I have being growing strawberries now since the early 1990s. It’s very consistent year on year and there’s no getting out now.”

Harvest: “Usually harvest starts in mid-May until October. This means we have to plant from early April until October. Having the acre of glasshouses allows us to complete the strawberry cycle in a year instead of two. The main effort goes in to having continuous supply – the glasshouses allow us to achieve that.”

Weather: “The weather set us back about three weeks. Temperatures in May were down about three to four degrees on average, and this affected growth. Our full pick would usually be around 15 May, whereas this year it will only be this week.”

This week: “We are busy as we started picking the first few batches. This week also sees us starting our third successive planting. It’s also National Strawberry Week.”

Produce: “We sell our produce to a number of different outlets. The first is local wholesale, accounting for about a third, while Garvey’s SuperValu chain takes another third. The final third is sold to stall owners at local farmers’ markets, such as Tralee, Listowel and Castle Island.”

Family: “My wife, Noelette, is a part-time nurse and we have four children. Jack did the leaving last year and our second, Jerimiah, is sitting his leaving this year. The two girls, Emily and Orla, are in first and second year.”

Quotable Quote: ”Despite the weather, work still goes on.”