Usually by July in this region, strawberry season is over.

Long live strawberry season!

John Mullet, 35, of Carrollton, Ohio, is continuing to sell his strawberries at two Citiparks farmers markets.

He's growing 6,000 ever-bearing plants in his greenhouse, located between Canton and East Liverpool, 70 miles from Pittsburgh.

"The brix count [sweetness] on them is right up with anything you grow outside," he says, "except you get bigger ones in here than outside."

He's missed a few market days lately, due to a bit of fungus on some berries that he had to throw out and other problems that come with farming ("It's our first year," he says), but he plans to have strawberries all the way to November.

Find Mr. Mullet and his "Countryside" berries at the Citiparks East Liberty market (3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mondays) and North Side market (3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Fridays).

-- Bob Batz Jr.