Vegetables Gardening - Growing Organic Vegetables

Hi,

I was wondering if it's really necessary to pinch off strawberry blossoms and runners the first year.  Many say that this is to establish a good root system so that the strawberries will produce better their 2nd year and beyond.  If the strawberry plants are receiving adequate fertilizer from the Mittleider recipes, is this really a necessary step to pinch off blossoms/runners during the first year?

Thanks for any advice!

Teri of NC