Oxnard, CA-”I’ve been around them all my life and I still love them,” says Glen Hasegawa, a third generation strawberry farmer.
There is nothing quite like biting into a shiny, juicy red strawberry that unleashes equally tart and sweet flavors with a mild pineapple background. Fresh from the basket, hours or days from picking, riper strawberries glide off the tongue, while younger berries add a satisfying crunch.
Oxnard’s been hosting the annual California Strawberry Festival in May since 1984. The festival is a tribute to Oxnard’s strawberry industry and features strawberries in conventional and innovative ways.
Local growers, residents, community groups, food vendors and visitors converge in Oxnard, located 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 30 miles south of Santa Barbara, to share in a weekend of food, contests, entertainment and education.
“I’ve been attending for the last four years,” says Su-Lin Rubalcava, a member of the festival’s Executive Board.
“What stands out are the people. They are so happy here. It’s all about having a good time with your family.”
Rise of the Strawberry
Though its entertaining for visitors, local growers such as Hasegawa see the weekend as a chance to promote their crops and also develop a closer connection with their customers and friends. Hasegawa runs the approximately 95-acre Isla Vista Farms in Oxnard with his brother.
“It’s a family farm. We’ve been farming for 50 years. My grandfather was a farmer. My dad also grew strawberries. Now, its my brother and me.”
With recent studies indicating strawberries have cancer-fighting, heart-healthy antioxidants demand for strawberries and other berries, which Hasegawa also grows, has increased.
“There’s been more demand in the last three or four years with more health benefits being published,” Hasegawa explains.
Hasegawa believes healthier eaters are eating more strawberries, but he also believes its just a universally loved fruit that they will always be easy to sell. That is especially important for local growers because Oxnard’s strawberry industry generates approximately $230 million each year. With 8,500 acres of strawberry fields, the region produces 27% of California’s total harvest, which accounts for 88% of the United States’ strawberry supply.
Strawberry Production Cycle
There are multiple varieties of strawberries, mainly differing in sweetness, texture, production, flavor and sturdiness. At Isla Vista Farms, Hasegawa features the camarosa, ventana, driscoll, albion and 1975 varieties.
“Consumers are probably most familiar with the driscoll variety,” says Hasegawa.
“Albions are good for fresh eating as are camarosas. Camarosas are also good for processing. They make jam out of it because it holds up a little better to cooking.”
Camarosas are also usually what is at the farmers markets and what Hasegawa’s staff sells at the festival.
California’s mild climate and longer daylight makes it possible to have strawberries available through most of the year. Farmers plant strawberries from the end of September through the end of October. Harvesting usually begins in late December and continues through mid July, with the peak season running from April through June. Hasegawa says the berries harvested in the first weeks of April are at their absolute peak.
According to the California Strawberry Festival, every strawberry gets handpicked every three days, which allows the strawberries to cycle from green to white to red. It is important to cool them and prepare them for immediate delivery in refrigerated trucks because strawberries degrade quickly even in cold storage.
Isla Vista Farms grows organic as well as conventional strawberries; however, the conversion to organic strawberries is complicated and costly.
“Organic is very difficult,” says Hasegawa.
“The hard part is you have to grow land organically for three years before you get certified, but the yield is so low and you cannot charge the premium. At the same time you are still paying rent and other costs.”
Unlike other fruits, strawberries do not improve after picking, so they need to fully ripen on their stems. Growers pick strawberries destined for grocery stores a little earlier than strawberries they sell to the end consumer at farmers markets or roadside stands.
Strawberries are also fickle, as the flavors of berries tend to go through cycles. This makes it difficult for farmers to predict flavor.
“Every berry goes in cycles of flavors. We don’t have control on how they taste.”
Choosing Strawberries
If the flavors of each berry can vary unpredictably, how can consumers find the best batch? Hasegawa’s first tip is to ignore some of the myths about the perfect strawberry.
“A lot of people like big strawberries, but there is no real difference [in flavor] from the size. Look for sheen, if it has a sheen, it is fresher. Get a good consistent red color. Make sure it is not dull or wet looking, because it is getting close to spoiling.”
Otherwise, consumers can order strawberries from Hasegawa online. Though he does most of his business through wholesalers that sell to grocery stores, Hasegawa can deliver his fresh California strawberries to any location in the United States either overnight or within two days.
“You take it for granted to have nice strawberries in California. But people [from other regions] trip out [when they see our produce].”
For more information contact: Isla Vista Farms 1-877-423-7743 (8am – 4pm PST)© 2008 Flavor Hub, Inc.
