Bright red and bursting with sweetness strawberries are one of America’s favorite fruits. While they’re not as popular as bananas or apples the average American ate about 8 pounds of strawberries in 2022 making them the 7th most consumed fruit—and by far the most beloved berry—in the U.S. (via Statista ). That may come as no surprise considering they’re delicious served all sorts of ways whether they’re sliced into an elevated fruit salad for the Fourth of July baked into a berry-laden pie or tossed into a summery Polish strawberry spread. But when it comes to how widely the fruit is enjoyed the question begs: Where did all our strawberries come from?
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
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 Tony 98 - Discovery | 2022-09-10 10:00:42 |  4,974,077 Views |
Farmworkers Grow and Pick Billions of Strawberries in California – Strawberry Harvest
While another country holds the title for the largest global growth for Americans the answer is true for many of the products that line U.S. grocery store shelves from lettuce to oranges. The vibrant red fruit can be found in fields from coast to coast but the majority of the country’s strawberries are produced in California. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture the Golden State produces about 90 percent of the annual strawberry crop followed by Florida with about 8 percent with most of the remaining portion split between New York North Carolina Oregon and Washington. This dramatic division of strawberry market share has everything to do with the sun-loving fruit’s preferred growing conditions. California’s mild climate means year-round growth and harvests and higher yields overall allowing the state to put strawberries on the table no matter the season.
It’s no secret that California plays a major role in feeding the nation as the nation’s largest producer of agricultural products. The Golden State in particular excels in growing strawberries which thrive thanks to the region’s temperate climate. As it turns out the fickle fruit is like many people sensitive to inclement weather. Strawberry plants are sensitive to temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit and thrive when they receive at least six to 10 hours of sunlight per day.
To produce berries year-round California farmers grow the crop all over the state. According to California Strawberries the fruit is harvested on farms in Watsonville Salinas and Santa Maria during the warm months while the bulk of the winter crop comes from the south in Oxnard Orange County and San Diego. As consumer demand increases in 2023 farmers plan to plant a record number of strawberries devoting an estimated 41570 acres to the berries (via AgAlert). That year’s crop weighed in at approximately 2.57 billion pounds (via Statista). The sprawling industry certainly gives new meaning to The Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
