Oregon's strawberry fields are shrinking
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Strawberries once were a strong export for Oregon, but production has dwindled in the face of competition from California.
Why it matters: Pacific Northwest strawberry varieties such as Hoods, Tillamooks, and Totems are renowned for their color and flavor, but they cost more to produce than the new California-grown berries, which has led to fewer Oregon farmers growing strawberries, local growers say.
State of play: Oregon's strawberry harvest was 11 million pounds in 2022, down from around 25 million pounds in 2004 and around 40 million pounds in 2001, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Farmers who used to sell to the processors are being priced out by new, cheaper, better-looking varieties grown further south, USDA scientist and strawberry expert Ted Mackey told Axios.
The big picture: Local strawberries found at u-picks and farmers markets are redder and sweeter than those grown in warm climates such as Mexico and California.
- However, Oregon berries have a short growing season and shelf life, and they bruise easily in transit, according to Scott Lukas, a berry scientist at Oregon State University.
- Only around 5% are sold as fresh berries; the other 95% are processed for pies, jams, smoothie mixes and snack bars.
Zoom in: Häagen-Dazs, Tillamook, Salt & Straw, and Fifty Licks all use Oregon strawberries.
- "It's the Oregon climate that brings cool nights and warm days that set high sugar content in our strawberries, that California just doesn't have," Jayson Hoffman, chairman of the Oregon Strawberry Commission, told Axios.
- Hoffman said California's berries might never compete with Oregon's on flavor, but Oregon's minimum wage increases have raised costs significantly.
What they're saying: "Growers here can't make as much money with their processed product as they used to," Mackey told Axios.
- That's because private companies and public universities in California have bred darker berries and processors are buying them cheaper than the Oregon berries, according to Mackey.
What's next: The race is on to develop new varieties with a longer shelf life and to market Oregon strawberries as a gourmet item.
- "Oregon strawberry is still a strong and vibrant industry. I don't frame it as a dying industry; it's a shift that needs local consumer support" Lukas said.