By: Mark Martinez, VP Public Policy, California Strawberry Commission
Each year on Ag Day at the California State Capitol, lawmakers, farmers, farmworkers, and families take a moment to honor something that often goes unnoticed in daily life. The food on our tables starts long before it reaches the grocery store. It begins in fields across California, cared for by people whose work feeds not only this state but much of the nation and the world.
Few crops tell that story more clearly than strawberries.
California produces about 90 percent of the strawberries grown in the United States. From the Central Coast to the Pajaro and Salinas valleys and Ventura County, strawberry fields are more than a popular fruit. They symbolize innovation, sustainability, opportunity, and a network of people who have built one of the world’s most productive agricultural systems.
Strawberries symbolize California agriculture’s best. They demonstrate how farmers can produce plentiful, healthy food while continually focusing on improving growing methods. The modern strawberry field reflects generations of experience combined with years of research, careful planning, and technology aimed at increasing food production while using fewer resources.
Water management provides a clear example. Drip irrigation, which started in California’s strawberry industry, lets farmers deliver water directly to plant roots. This minimizes evaporation and runoff and ensures each plant gets exactly what it needs. In a state where water is one of the most valuable resources, that level of precision matters.
The innovation doesn’t stop there. Many growers now use soil sensors, satellite data, and plant monitoring tools to improve their decisions about irrigation and nutrients. These technologies provide real-time data on soil moisture and plant health, helping farmers reduce unnecessary inputs while keeping crops healthy and boosting yields.
Pest management has also advanced. Strawberry growers depend heavily on integrated pest management systems that combine monitoring, biological controls, mechanical pest removal, and targeted treatments. Beneficial insects, crop covers, and close field observation help farmers address pest issues while reducing broader environmental impacts.
Behind these innovations are strong partnerships between farmers and research institutions like the University of California and the California State University System, and Cal Poly’s Strawberry Center, which helps connect research, education and industry through applied work and events like its annual Field Day. New strawberry varieties are constantly being developed to improve resilience to weather, pests, and changing environmental conditions. The goal is simple: produce high-quality food while promoting long-term sustainability.
The benefits reach far beyond the farm.
California’s strawberry industry generates billions of dollars in economic activity each year and supports tens of thousands of jobs, with approximately 95 cents of every dollar flowing back into local communities. Farmworkers, truck drivers, researchers, and small businesses all play a role in bringing these berries from the field to families across the country.
In many Coastal communities, strawberries are more than just an agricultural product. They form the backbone of local economies and livelihoods.
Ag Day offers a moment to recognize that full picture.
For consumers, strawberries are a favorite item in the grocery basket. What often remains unseen are the people behind every berry: farmers making careful decisions in the field, farmworkers harvesting fruit with skill and precision, researchers developing the next generation of crops, and families whose livelihoods depend on agriculture continuing to succeed.
Strawberries capture what California agriculture stands for when it thrives: innovation, hard work, land stewardship, and a dedication to nourishing communities well beyond the farm.
On Ag Day, that’s worth recognizing.
