Sustainable Farming In
California Strawberry Fields
Growing With Heart for the Land, Our Communities, and Our Future
Growing nearly 90% of the nation’s strawberries on less than 1% of California farmland requires a deep commitment to growing strawberries responsibly.
California strawberry farmers live and work in the same communities where they farm. Their care for the land and the people around them shapes how strawberries are grown every day, in every field.
Growing Responsibly Starts with Conserving Resources
- Water is one of California’s most important resources, and strawberry farming uses less water per acre than an equivalent acre of homes in Los Angeles.
- California strawberry farmers helped pioneer drip irrigation decades ago and continue using drip systems to deliver water directly to the plants only where and when it’s needed.
Organic Practices
Shape Strawberry Farming
- California grows more organic strawberries than anywhere else in the world, and many organic practices are now widely used throughout strawberry farming overall.
- Cover crops and California wildflowers help support pollinators, beneficial insects, biodiversity, and soil health around the farms.
A Thoughtful Approach
to Pest Management
- Strawberry farmers closely monitor their fields and use more targeted approaches that help reduce pesticide use while protecting crops.
- Tools like bug vacuums, natural UV-C light, and advanced field monitoring systems help farmers respond more precisely in the field.
- Farmers and researchers work together to develop stronger strawberry varieties that can use fewer resources and stay healthier in the field.
- Research is tested in real strawberry fields and helps improve how strawberries are grown before strawberries are even planted.
- California strawberries are packaged using materials that are 100% recyclable—helping sustainability extend beyond the fields.
- Packaging also helps keep strawberries fresh to reduce food waste during transport, storage, and at home.
California strawberry farmers continue testing, learning, and refining how strawberries are grown while adopting new tools and approaches that make a real difference.
Because growing strawberries responsibly matters—to the communities they call home and the people who bring California strawberries home.
