California Strawberry History

Strawberries are a perishable fruit and the growth of the crop saw its greatest expansion in the 20th century, partially due to the huge population of the state and their craving for this red, sweet berry often served as dessert.

Yields in California are much higher than in any other strawberry-producing regions in the United States because of the mild climate which allows harvesting strawberries over a long period.

Timeline

In 1926, 40% of the strawberry acreage was located in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, 25% on the Central Coast surrounding San Francisco, 19% in Sacramento County, and 12% in the San Joaquin Valley.

In 1920s-1930s California strawberries accounted for only 6-7% of U.S. production. A small portion of the crop was shipped out of state, primarily from the Sacramento Valley.

1945-today began the post-war (WWII) boom for strawberry farming in California. Salinas Valley became the largest strawberry producing region in the world. Frozen berry marketing helped the surge, but the rapid expansion of Los Angeles and San Francisco populations created a built-in market for fresh berries.

1945-1957 Strawberry acreage increased from 1,100 acres to 20,000 acres.

In 1957 over 550 million tons of strawberries were harvested in the United States. 220 million of the berries came from California, accounting for 40% of U.S. production.

1960-1980s demand for frozen strawberries dropped dramatically and acreage in California dipped to below 8,000 acres for several years.

1989 California strawberry acreage was back to 20,000+ acres, due to demand for fresh berries and ability to ship them.

2013 the strawberry acreage doubled to 41,500 acres. 75% of berries went to fresh market and 25% frozen for the processed market.

2016 California accounts for approx. 90% of all strawberries grown in U.S.