Did you know that California produces nearly 90% of the nation’s strawberries? Neither did I. But, after tasting them fresh from some year-round strawberry fields in Watsonville, it’s no wonder – they’re so extremely sweet, juicy, and scrumptious!
Last week I joined the California Strawberries commission and a handful of other bloggers on a very special farm tour. We dined on strawberries that were savory, strawberries that were sweet, and strawberries mixed in concoctions I never would have come up with.
Image courtesy of Robert Durell Photography
Chatting and Dining with CA Strawberry Commission
All ten bloggers checked in at the Chaminade Resort & Spa in Santa Cruz, California to get things rolling. We were welcomed with tasty treats. As delectable as the appetizers looked, everyone just took photos of them and no one at any until it was almost time to go inside for dinner. That’s food bloggers for you…
Then, dinner was served. We had WAY too much food but, of course, everyone still had enough room for the dessert. My favorites had to be the salad with black lava salt from Hawaii, the lamb with a strawberry bourbon glaze, and the almond cake with strawberry caramel and mascarpone mousse (not a fan of the accompanying mochi though).
Along the Santa Cruz Wharf
Early the next morning, we took a short stroll near the Santa Cruz wharf before getting down to business. Some of the bloggers were having quite a bit of fun stopping random surfers to pose for pictures. The surfers, however, didn’t mind one bit.
Touring the Strawberry Fields with Farmer Rod Koda in Watsonville, CA
Then it was off to meet Rod Koda, farmer and owner of the family’s Shinta Kawahara Farm in Watsonville. His strawberry fields were gorgeous! Rows and rows of both conventional and organic grown strawberries covered much of the 27 acres of his property. FYI, no GMO’s are used on this or any other California strawberry farm 🙂
We learned so much about how sandy soil and temperate California weather allows for a good nine months of harvest just in this area alone. Rod walked us through the fields as he light-heartedly shared what it’s like to be a farmer and described the meticulous work of ensuring the best flavor in the safest way. All this with a huge tractor vacuum sucking up pests (aka “bug vac”) in the background.
Rod was working with a few different varieties but the majority was dedicated to growing Albion strawberries. These were, by far, the sweetest and most flavorful in my opinion. In case you were wondering, we were given permission to pick and eat as many strawberries as we wanted during the tour. In fact, Rod’s daughter was kindly searching out for some of the most ripe ones to share with us. It would have been wrong to refuse them so Caroline and I kindly obliged.
Current Research at Monterey Bay Academy
At Monterey Bay Academy, Senior Research Manager Dr. Hillary Q. Thomas explained the research being done there. California strawberry farmers are investing millions in finding out how to use less chemicals to control diseases and pests. One method used compost and coconut coir instead of soil, while another attempted to adjust the balance of microscopic organisms.
Never Ending Lunch by Los Lobos Truck
To bring our day of touring for the strawberry fields to an end, Los Lobos Truck catered our much anticipated lunch.
Chef Jasmine Wolf really out did herself. Everything was delicious and more food just kept bringing brought out. It was hard to choose which main entree to get when both the PB, strawberry jam & bacon Kobe slider served on brioche and gabyback ribs with strawberry BBQ sauce on a strawberry honeydew salsa & old Mac looked so good. I had a bit of each and was pleased with both. She also sent everyone home with left over dishes, including a special gluten-free to go box for my husband.
I had an wonderful time during the overnight event. My daughter loves strawberries and we often have them stocked during these peak months. So, knowing more about the local farms they come from and the care put into growing them really gave me a new appreciation for this versatile and healthy fruit. The next time you bite into a bright red ripe strawberry, just remember that it just might have come from California!
Check out the commission’s official site for facts, recipes, and more. You can also follow them online:
- Facebook: CAstrawberries
- Twitter: @CAstrawberries
- Instagram: @CAstrawberries
- Pinterest: CAstrawberries
- Google+: California Strawberries
- YouTube: CAstrawberries
All travel and lodging expenses provided by the CA Strawberries Commission. All opinions are my own.
55 comments
I so love strawberries… what a wonderful opportunity! Looks like you had an amazing time!
That looks like so much fun. We love strawberries. So much you can do with them.
I adore Strawberries, so this would be a fabulous place to visit!!! Look at all the fun and man all the food looks out of this world!!!!
This looks like a fun place to go to. Those meals look really good. You’re making me want some strawberries.
That looks like a great time and I had no idea that most strawberries came from CA.
That sounds like so much fun! I love to go to local farms and participate in the fruit & veggie picking tours. But this is so much fancier!
Looks like you had an amazing time. I had no idea California produced so many strawberries.
That sounds like one of the tastiest press events ever! I would have certainly overindulged in eating all that great food – I love strawberries 🙂
Now here’s an event I’d love to taste my way through. The strawberry you picked looks huge!
I would love to visit the strawberry fields one day. It looks like an amazing time.
It looks like you guys had a ball, kudos!
We’ve gone strawberry picking before but nothing like this. What a great experience!
That tour looks great. Spectacular strawberries. Yumm.
I did not know that CA produces 90% of our strawberries! I am so glad that the majority of our strawberries are grown in the USA!
I love strawberries.This looks like a great day out,looks like you had a great time.
My kids love strawberries, but we usually get local ones from our Farmer’s Market.
Of course I am partial to Florida strawberries (being that I live in Florida) but I love the California strawberries during the summer when ours are out of season! It looks like you had a great time and those berries look delicious!
I can’t believe the size of those strawberries, they are huge, and look so yummy. Nothing like berries right off the vine.
I love fresh, ripe strawberries! This looks like the coolest blog trip!
Mitch
What a fun experience! Those strawberries look absolutely delicious.
I LOVE strawberries. I wish they were in season in NC all-year round. And I had no idea so many came from California!
I love strawberries. I’ve always wanted to go strawberry picking!
Strawberries are my favorite fruit! The food they served looks amazing. Sounds like everyone had a great time.
What a gorgeous spread of foods (strawberry bruschetta!!)! And that first photo of ya’ll in the field is so crisp and clear!
It is absolutely gorgeous there! I’d love to take a tour of the strawberry fields and then drive up the coast. Just beautiful.
I love all the pictures! I have always wanted to go to a strawberry field, or even better have one of my own!
That looks like an amazing time. All of the food seems delicious.
I didn’t know that CA produced that much strawberries. I was thinking FL grew more. Anyway, I love them!
I would love to tour a strawberry field. It’s one of my favourite fruits. I can eat them all day long. 🙂
I had no idea that CA produced so many of our strawberries! I love strawberry picking.
I would love to go to a place like this to pick fresh strawberries! The strawberry BBQ sauce sounds so good!
Everything looks so good. I want all of the food!
I think this wonderful and now I am craving strawberries. These are so good and I love all the recipe ideas.
I love strawberries and when it s season I will bake, cook, fry , make salads, cakes, desserts, sauces, jelly and whatever is possible with them so yummy
I attended a California Strawberries Event and loved it! Sounds like you had an amazing time. 🙂
Wow, 90% is a lot! Those strawberries do look huge and tasty. And hurrah for chefs who turn them into something great and bring out the dishes for tasting! 🙂
That looks like an incredible experience. I love strawberries and would have gobbled up those tasty looking treats. After taking pictures. I love new fun twists on cooking!
I would have loved a tour like that! That strawberry basil bruschetta looks amazing.
What a great outing! I would love to pick my own strawberries…on a day when it’s not so hot of course! We grow strawberries here in Florida, and we have strawberry and blueberry pickings.
I love pretty much anything you can make with a strawberry. So yum. I love it when its berry season around here.
What a fun event! Those strawberries look fantastic
I would never leave! You guys can find me passed out in the strawberry fields full to the brim with delicious berries!
I love strawberries! Looks like you had such a good time.
I would love to have some of the strawberry and basil. Looks like you all had a great visit.
Beautiful strawberry fields – makes my mouth water. And those eats! Jealous but what a fun experience!
The almond cake with strawberry caramel sounds delicious! Looks like you guys had a blast!
Oh man that is one trip I would love to have been on. I am a huge fan of strawberries.
These pictures are amazing! I want to try all of these yummy treats and enjoy those strawberries!
This trip looks awesome! Fresh strawberries are the best.
I’ve always wanted to pick strawberries. You don’t see them home grown as often here in the Midwest.
We have a U Pick strawberry field near us. I’m going to talk to the hubs about going there next weekend for some FRESH strawberries 🙂
Wow, what an amazing place to visit! I would LOVE to go there. The food looks soooo good and those strawberries are HUGE!!
Strawberry bruschetta! Yes please! Looks like you had an amazing time. I love strawberries!
Oh my- what a fabulous trip and experience!!! I love strawberry recipes- especially in salads, yum!
What a fun trip and oh how I love strawberries! This looks like such an elegant and fun place to visit.
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