Two-thirds of the California’s strawberry production occurs in the Santa Maria region, which includes the coastal regions of Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Luis Obispo, Northern Santa Barbara, and Monterey County (USDA 1999). Over a dozen varieties of strawberries are grown in California.
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Are there strawberry Fields in California?
As river water gushed through a broken levee, thousands of people in a California farming town were forced to evacuate as their homes were flooded and businesses destroyed. Yet another potential casualty of the powerful rainstorms that drenched coastal California: hundreds of acres of fresh strawberries slated for America’s supermarket shelves this summer.
- Industry experts estimate about a fifth of strawberry farms in the Watsonville and Salinas areas have been flooded since the levee ruptured late Friday about 70 miles (110 kilometers) south of San Francisco and another river overflowed.
- It’s too soon to know whether the berry plants can be recovered, but the longer they remain underwater the more challenging it can get, said Jeff Cardinale, a spokesperson for the California Strawberry Commission.
“When the water recedes, what does the field look like — if it is even a field anymore?” Cardinale said. “It could just be a muddy mess where there is nothing left.” For years, California’s farmers have been plagued by drought and battles over water as key sources have run dry.
- But so far this winter, the nation’s most populous state — and a key source of food for the nation — has been battered by 11 atmospheric rivers as well as powerful storms fueled by arctic air that produced blizzard conditions in the mountains.
- Many communities have been coping with intense rainstorms and flooding, including the unincorporated community of Pajaro, known for its strawberry crop.
The nearby Pajaro River swelled with runoff from last week’s rains and the levee — built in the 1940s to provide flood protection and a known risk for decades — ruptured, forcing the evacuation of more than 8,000 people from the largely Latino farmworker community.
- PHOTOS: Atmospheric river leaves California inundated, with another in the forecast Farmworkers have seen their hours reduced or slashed entirely due to the storms, said Antonio De Loera-Brust, a spokesperson for United Farm Workers.
- The most critical issue, he said, is helping those in the community of Pajaro rebuild.
The overwhelming majority of U.S.-grown strawberries come from California, with farms in different regions of the state harvesting the berries at distinct times of the year. About a third of the state’s strawberry acreage is in the Watsonville and Salinas areas, according to the commission.
Peter Navarro grows strawberries, raspberries and blackberries on a farm by the Pajaro River. He said he was fortunate his fields weren’t flooded by the levee rupture, but still expects his crop to be delayed several weeks due to the rainy, cold weather. After planting berries last year, Navarro said he and other farmers were concerned about water sources drying up due to prolonged drought.
“When it started raining, we were elated, happy, saying, ‘This is what we need, a rainy season,'” Navarro said. “We certainly were not expecting all these atmospheric rivers. It just overwhelmed us — and overwhelmed the river.” Other crops are also affected by the deluge in the Pajaro Valley, such as lettuce and other greens.
Some vegetables had already been planted, but many hadn’t, and might see delays in planting due to the storms, said Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau. “Right now, I think everyone’s out trying to save the farm, so to speak,” Groot said, adding more rain was forecast for the weekend.
Monterey County is home to Pajaro and the crop-rich Salinas Valley, and has more than 360,000 farmed acres, said Juan Hidalgo, the county’s agricultural commissioner. The county estimates the farm sector was hit by $324 million in losses from January storms, and strawberries, raspberries and greens will likely be affected by this one, he said.
- But, he added, many acres of farmland won’t be, and consumers may not feel the impact of the storms.
- We’re still going to have a lot of production,” he said.
- A challenge for strawberry growers is the plants are already in the ground.
- Soren Bjorn, president of Driscoll’s of the Americas, said the company works with a network of independent growers to package, ship and sell strawberries.
In the Pajaro Valley, farmers did their planting last fall so the berries would hit stores during the summertime when it’s too hot to grow the fruits further south, he said. Right now, farmers can’t even access the fields, because roads are covered in water,
- But with about 900 acres (364 hectares) under water in the Pajaro Valley and another 600 acres (243 hectares) flooded in nearby Salinas, Bjorn said the potential impact is significant, especially as farmers not only face the challenge of mud-soaked plants but also damaged equipment.
- In the peak of the summer, Bjorn said most of the strawberries in the country come from this region.
“It’s too soon to know the full impact of this,” he said. “There is no way we are going to get what we had planned for.”
Where are strawberries grown USA?
US Strawberry Production and Exports – There are three states that significantly contribute to strawberry production in the US: California, Florida, and North Carolina. The general peak of the California strawberry season usually starts from the third week of May through the end of June.
(p.54) In Florida, strawberry volumes are generally available from November until April. Meanwhile, strawberry season in North Carolina starts in April, which should last until the end of May. (p.55) There is also a huge local demand for organic strawberries in the US. In fact, strawberries are among the top organic products consumed in U.S.
households. Strawberry consumers in the country purchased USD 334 million worth of organic strawberries in 2019, representing a 10.8% increase compared to the year-ago period. (p.26-27) In terms of pricing, organic strawberry prices are lowest during the months of May through August, when farmers in California and Florida are harvesting.
Where in the US produces the most strawberries?
Favorable climate conditions make the state of California the largest producer of strawberries in the United States. In 2022, 24.8 million hundredweight of strawberries were produced in California, considerably more than the second ranked, Florida, with about three million hundredweight.
Do strawberry trees grow in California?
This Strawberry Tree is an excellent design plant that will bring year-round interest to your garden. Homeowners in Southern California will appreciate its drought-tolerant features. In fact, Arbutus ‘Marina’ thrives in the Southern California sunshine and needs little water once established.
Is strawberry native to America?
Where Do Strawberries Come From? – Strawberries are native to North America, and Indigenous peoples used them in many dishes. The first colonists in America shipped the native larger strawberry plants back to Europe as early as 1600. Another variety, also was discovered in Central and South America, is what the conquistadors called “futilla.” Early Americans did not bother cultivating strawberries because they were abundant in the wilds.
- Although they have been around for thousands of years, strawberries were not actively cultivated until the Renaissance period in Europe.
- The plants can last for five to six with careful cultivation, but most farmers use them as an annual crop, replanting yearly.
- Strawberries are social plants, requiring both a male and a female to produce fruit.
Crops take eight to 14 months to mature.
How far is strawberry from San Francisco?
SRD offers quality, innovative and diverse programs for all ages, interest and abilities – History is taken from “The Strawberry Chronicles” compiled by the SRD Board of Directors and SRD staff in 1998. Strawberry is an unincorporated waterfront community in Marin County, California located 10 miles north of San Francisco.
- Situated on the San Francisco Bay between the towns of Tiburon and Mill Valley, the original inhabits were Native Americans leaving behind small artifacts and shell mounds.
- Originally part of the Rancho Corte Madera del Presidio, Strawberry Point was inherited by Hilarita Reed Lyford.
- During the second half of the 1800’s, Dr.
Benjamin Lyford and Hilarita Reed Lyford built a house, started a commercial brickyard and the Eagle Dairy Farm. Early settlers to Strawberry and Tiburon peninsulas were dairy farmers and gardeners. In 1886 Manauel Rodrigues da Fonta, his wife Mary, and three year old daughter Rose, rented a small house and a few acres from the Reed heirs.
Rose along with her younger brother and sister attended the first Reed school, a one room school located near the railroad trestle (presently Belvron Gardens) In November 1918 John Paul Reed (heir to John Joseph Reed and grandson of John Thomas Reed, the Mexican land grantee) conveyed houses and land to various persons who lived on the ranch and left the ten acre knoll and the Rogers/Rodrigues house to Rose (now the Richardson Bay Audubon Center).
In 1933, at age 50, Rose married Arthur Verrall, a printer and native of Canada. Following his death (25 years later), Rose walked daily to Mill Valley and devoted her time to the care of a small herd of goats. She became affectionately known as Rosie, the Goat Lady.
Are strawberries always in season in California?
Strawberries – Most of us think of strawberries as a summer fruit. While peak season is April through August, strawberries are grown year round throughout different regions of the state. In winter, strawberries ship from Southern California; production moves north with the warming spring temperatures. Strawberry Rosé Snack Cake Strawberry Smash Berry Shortcake with Mascarpone Cream from Britney Breaks Bread
Where is Strawberry Hill in California?
Strawberry Hill is a hill in San Francisco, California, near the center of Golden Gate Park.
Why is Plant City the strawberry capital?
The Winter Strawberry Capital of the World – Originally Plant City was a large cotton center. Changing its major crop to strawberries has brought it national recognition. Today, over 3/4 of the nation’s midwinter strawberries come from Plant City. At the Florida Strawberry Festival, held each winter, you can taste some of the finest shortcake, pie, and cobblers made from the freshest strawberries in the land.
Where is Strawberry Hill in California?
Strawberry Hill is a hill in San Francisco, California, near the center of Golden Gate Park.