The official strawberry season in Florida runs from Thanksgiving until Easter, then we switch over to our farms in California where their mild climate is ideal for strawberries during these warmer months. We plant our California summer crop in the first weeks of June for fruit that will be harvested in late August, all the way through the end of the year. This crop is the perfect transition from the spring California crop to when we start harvesting strawberries in Florida.
We grow both organic and conventional strawberries in Southern California, specifically in Santa Maria and Oxnard. The varietals will be the Monterey, Cabrillo and Frontera – known for their sweet flavor.
These regions historically have perfect strawberry temperatures with highs in the 60s-70s and lows in the 40s-50s. As we get deeper into the fall, we have to start worrying about potential freezes.
We target to pick 5,000 flats of strawberries for every acre grown and we ship our California fruit to all of our retail partners across the continental US.
Meanwhile, at our Florida strawberry farm, we typically plant sun hemp as the cover crop on the conventional strawberry acreage. Currently, cow peas- also known as black-eyed peas- are being planted on the organic farm. These crops are not harvested, rather tilled back into the soil. Cover crops are vital to providing the soil with nutrients to prepare for the next season. Cows peas specific job as a cover crop is to suppress weeds, attract helpful insects, and protect the soil against wind!
Visit our Recipe page for delicious summer berry recipes your friends and family will love!