Watsonville, CA – Autumn begins next week just in time for California Giant Berry Farms’ Fall strawberry crop from Santa Maria, California complimenting the harvest still underway in Watsonville and Salinas. This time of year has become an exciting time for strawberries which typically was considered the tail end of the season. Now with the added volume, the company has fruit to support consumer demand for year-round fresh strawberries.
The company is expecting the volume to be strong from both Santa Maria and the Watsonville/Salinas district well into fall through holidays in October and November if weather continues to be favorable. However, this year that is a double-edged sword with California farmers hoping for a strong rainy season due to drought conditions.
At the same time, blueberry season is beginning again in South America as the Pacific Northwest season winds down. California Giant expects excellent quality and promotable volume of fresh blueberries beginning in October from regions in South America and extending well into the Spring.
As the weather and leaves begin to turn across the country this time of year, families are back in the kitchen cooking and baking as family events and parties shift inside instead of the backyard. Holidays like Halloween and especially Thanksgiving are peak months for retail grocery shopping and California Giant is in constant dialogue with their consumers on ways to include their fresh berries in the mix, as well as featuring themed consumer promotions and contests. Programs on tap include Back to School promotions, Halloween recipe ideas and a recipe promotion highlighting Breast Cancer Awareness month in October. Food Blogger partners are also creating unique recipes, entertaining tips and Pinterest pages featuring California Giant fresh berries that extend the company’s reach during this time period with innovative ideas.
Source: California Giant Berry Farms