Latest News From Strawberries

Whether retailers and consumers are looking for strawberries, blueberries, blackberries or raspberries, they’ll be able to find them this summer, and they should be pleased with the quality, grower-shippers say.

A&A Organic Farms, Watsonville, Calif., is busy with a full line of spring crops.

Mothers at berry company Driscoll’s joined to create a series of stories, challenges and tips on surviving — thriving, even — during the pandemic.

Well-Pict Berries, Watsonville, Calif., created a virtual promotion for Mother’s Day to keep consumers socially distant and safe.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is planning on buying $470 million in surplus food, including $105 million worth of produce, as growers cope with disrupted supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watsonville, Calif.-based Driscoll’s has introduced a new product, an 18-ounce corrugate package of large strawberries branded as Berry Big Strawberries.

Strawberry harvest in the Oxnard, Calif., region is ramping up, and The Oppenheimer Group is promoting two-pound containers of Ocean Spray-brand berries for Mother’s Day (May 10).

Oranges maintained their months-long lead on PMG the week of April 20, but the rest of the top 20 saw some changes.

A small study suggests that teen boys who are at higher risk for heart disease than their peers may benefit from eating a lot of strawberries. 

From fresh produce being plowed under to unharvested crops sitting untouched in fields, fruit and vegetable growers are the latest agriculture sector facing fallout from COVID-19.

Kyla Oberman has returned to berries, as California Giant’s director of marketing.

Oranges continued their hold on the top spot on PMG the week of April 6, but the rest of the top 5 shuffled slightly.

California growers planted nearly 27,000 acres of strawberries for winter, spring and summer production this year, about 1,000 acres more than 2019, according to the Watsonville-based California Strawberry Commission.

Driscoll’s plans to donate more than $4 million globally, with funds to health clinics and food banks, fresh berry donations and community resources in response to the worldwide pandemic.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of strawberries to a grocery retailer.

Oranges were still the favorite on Produce Market Guide the week of March 30, but lettuce inched up a place from the previous week to No. 2, bumping organic pears to No. 3.

The greenhouse category is expanding every year as growers look for more items that can be produced indoors, and as they ramp up the volume of the ones they already have.

The coronavirus COVID-19 and efforts to slow its spread have had a significant effect on the produce industry, forcing suppliers to adjust in a number of ways.

Berry People is in growth mode, hiring people and moving to a larger office in Hollister to accommodate the new sales and administrative teams.

Driscoll’s president Soren Bjorn and The Packer’s retail editor Ashley Nickle discussed how the coronavirus COVID-19 is affecting business, supply outlook and promotional activity.

Wish Farms, Plant City, Fla., has been visiting area food banks to alleviate some of the demand spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.

California strawberry season has kicked off, with berries in the Salinas/Watsonville area starting at the end of March to meet increased demand of berries spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.

NatureSeal, the company originally known for preserving fresh-cut apples, has a new blend for fresh strawberries.

Bobalu Berries, Oxnard, Calif., is donating strawberries to school children and families as they pick up meals at schools that have been shuttered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanks to mostly favorable growing weather, Florida grower-shippers anticipate a strong spring season for their fruits and vegetables.

Older adults may reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s dementia by eating more strawberries, according to researchers at Rush University, Chicago.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue visited the Florida Strawberry Festival and hosted a roundtable with industry members, where concerns over fair trade were voiced.

The coronavirus COVID-19 and efforts to slow its spread have had a significant effect on the produce industry, forcing suppliers to adjust in a number of ways.

Cindy Jewell is hanging out a new shingle in her produce career. 

Main Street Produce, Santa Maria, Calif., has hired Roger Privett III as sales and business development manager.

The Florida strawberry crop for Well-Pict Berries, Watsonville, Calif., will be in peak harvest in February.

Bobalu Berries, Oxnard, Calif., has hired Tom O’Brien as sales account manager.

Crunchies Natural Food Co., offers a line of freeze-dried fruits, including strawberries, mixed fruit, strawberry-banana, pineapple, mango and cinnamon apple, said Shaby Fisher, senior marketing specialist.

Consumers continue to look for organic strawberries; in fact, marketers moved 6.2 million pounds more organic berries in 2018 than in 2017, according to data from IRI/FreshLook Marketing.

The Packer's Tom Karst and Produce Retailer's Ashley Nickle discuss a few of the top stories of the week, from trade payments to Earth Fare closing its stores to a collaborative effort by the berry industry.

Berry growers and trade associations in the U.S., Mexico and South America are pledging to use 100% recycle-ready packaging for all fresh berries by 2025.

California Giant Berry Farms, Watsonville, was busy in 2019 with sustainability programs, but the origin of those efforts came many years ago, according to the company.

Despite challenging conditions, a number of Florida strawberry growers continue to ramp up their volume of organic berries every season.

Growing organic strawberries has never been easy for Florida farmers, but the task got a lot more challenging in late December, when a fungus called Pestalotiopsis took hold in some of the state’s berry fields.

Sean Martin is the new chief financial officer at California Giant Berry Farms, Watsonville.

Pummelos and oranges maintained a firm 1-2 lead on Produce Market Guide the week of Jan. 6, while specialty seville oranges garnered the No. 3 spot.

Naturipe Farms, Salinas, Calif., has promoted Jim Roberts to president of sales, a new position at the company.

Five Crowns Marketing, Brawley, Calif., is expanding berry and asparagus volumes, and is adding industry veterans and facilities to support the increase.

Well-Pict Berries, Watsonville, Calif., offers organic strawberries year-round, and the upcoming Florida season is off to a good start.

California Giant Berry Farms, Watsonville, Calif., has named Joe Barsi president of the company.

The new Florida brilliance strawberry variety, which debuted last season, has proven to be a winner.

Florida’s 2019-20 strawberry deal got off to a slow start just before Thanksgiving, but grower-shippers said volume gradually was picking up, and supplies should be plentiful by the first of the year.

Hazel Technologies has received a $100,000 grant from the USDA to further develop its Endure packaging insert to prolong fresh produce shelf life, with a focus on berries.

Plant City, Fla.-based Wish Farms has been busy giving back the past few months with its “Berry Lover” e-mail campaign.

Mastronardi Produce, Kingsville, Ontario, was recognized as having the Best Overall Product Promo at the Produce Marketing Association’s Fresh Summit for Wow berries.