Strawberries are the undisputed leader in the berry sector and in 2014 represented 58% and 94% of the value of all berry production in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties, respectively , and 50% and 93% of all berry acreage . Table 2 documents the remarkable expansion of the strawberry industry over time in both counties with respect to acreage, tons produced and value of production. Between 1960 and 2014, acreage more than tripled and production increased tenfold. The value of production, in real dollars, increased by 424% in Monterey County and by 593% in Santa Cruz County, reaching an astonishing combined value of nearly $1 billion in both 2010 and 2014. The gains in all statistical categories in Monterey County were enabled in part by an expansion of production into the southern reaches of the county where more and larger blocks of farmland are available, and where land rents are lower than in Santa Cruz and northern Monterey counties. However, from 2010 to 2014 Monterey County’s tonnage and production values declined, possibly because the area has recently experienced a shortage of labor to harvest fresh market crops. Tonnage was also lower in Santa Cruz County, but production values increased. This may be because of the county’s greater emphasis on local agriculture, plastic garden container organic production and direct market sales, which are often associated with higher crop values.

For raspberries, the acreage, tons produced and value of production grew steadily and most strikingly in Santa Cruz County , where production conditions for caneberries are optimal. For example, caneberry fields in Santa Cruz County are situated in areas that have well-drained soils and are protected from damaging winds. Also, fields are planted to take advantage of the growth and yield gains associated with southern exposures. Moreover, field-to-cooler travel distances are shorter in Santa Cruz County, which is critical for safeguarding the quality and marketability of these highly perishable crops. By 2014, raspberries represented 33% of the county’s total value of production for all berries. In contrast, Monterey County raspberry production accounted for only 6% of the county’s total berry value. Blackberries have not been consistently reported as a separate category in archived statistical analyses, but instead were often included under the terms “bush- or miscellaneous berries”. Therefore, similar data for blackberry acreage and value of production cannot be reported here. However, between 1990 and 2010, Santa Cruz County agricultural commissioner crop reports reported an upward trend for the broad category with respect to acreage planted and value of production . In 2010, blackberries were promoted to a position of prominence in the report and shown as a separate statistic; at the same time, the miscellaneous berry category was shown to be very small indeed. Between 2010 and 2014, however, blackberry acreage and value of production leveled off and have shown only modest gains . This may be because there has been less emphasis on production and market research and promotion for blackberries than for strawberries or raspberries.

No comparable data are available for Monterey County. The two counties have contributed significantly to California’s total berry sector: in 2014, area strawberry acreage represented 35% of the statewide total, 37% of the total tons produced and 38% of the total value of production . Area raspberry acreage represented 43% of the statewide total, 42% of the total tons produced and 39% of the total value of production. Comparable statewide statistics are not available for blackberries. County agricultural commissioners’ reports show that the majority of all berries produced in the two counties — up to 98% — are sold as fresh market fruit . In years with adverse production conditions or low prices, a higher percentage of the crop may be diverted to the freezer or processed products market. Fresh market fruit is handled and sold primarily through local grower-shippers; a much smaller share is sold directly to consumers through farmers markets, community supported agriculture operations, farm stands and other direct and intermediated market channels such as restaurants, independent grocers and schools.Arguably the most momentous shift in cultural practices for strawberries was the introduction of preplant soil fumigants, beginning with chloropicrin in the 1950s and methyl bromide in the 1960s. Fumigation is a soil disinfestation practice that improves plant productivity and helps with the management of arthropods, nematodes, weeds, soilborne fungi and other plant pathogens. Some of the most difficult to control pathogens include Verticillium dahliae, Fusarium spp. and Macrophomina phaesolina. Without soil fumigation, these pathogens have the potential to completely destroy strawberry plantings. Early on, when CP and MB were mixed and applied together, the synergistic effects allowed strawberries to be produced as an annual rather than a biennial crop, and to be grown continuously on the same land without rotation to another crop, resulting in an increase in annual strawberry acreage.

The use of fumigants also led to higher and more predictable yields and fruit quality, and further enabled the development of more stable markets for strawberries . Yields for strawberries statewide increased from a range of 2 to 4 tons per acre prior to the introduction of soil fumigants to 16 tons per acre by 1969 . Additional cultural improvements included the development of both UC and proprietary strawberry varieties uniquely adapted to coastal production conditions. Varieties were bred, for example, for disease resistance, yield and market potential. Notable UC-bred strawberry varieties include Tufts , Pajaro, Douglas, Chandler, and Selva , Camarosa and Seascape , and Aromas, Albion and Monterey . Irrigation practices also evolved, shifting from furrow irrigation in the 1960s to drip irrigation in the 1980s, which led to further improvements in plant disease management and greater water use efficiency. These and other enhancements meant that by 2012, yields could exceed 35 tons per acre . More recently, the strawberry industry has focused on “fine-tuning” fertility and water management for more efficient resource use, along with additional yield and fruit quality improvements . The Santa Cruz–Monterey area is also recognized for its early experience with conversion of conventional strawberry production to organic management . Organic strawberry production was shown to result in lower yields, which, when offset bypremium prices could potentially offer higher net returns to growers. The importance of crop rotation for disease management was not addressed in the initial study by Gliessman et al. but has since been the focus of additional research, as have more complete analyses of the economics of organic strawberry production . Growers and area researchers continue to collaborate and advance organic strawberry production techniques. Most notably, a long-term research commitment has been made to determine organically acceptable disease management practices such as anaerobic soil disinfestation , plastic pot the use of commercially available soil-applied biological organisms and the incorporation of soil amendments such as mustard seed and its derivatives. The area is now seen as a global leader in organic strawberry research, and in 2012 the first organic strawberry production manual was published by UC Agriculture and Natural Resources . Statistics documenting expansion of the organic strawberry industry over time are not available on a county-by-county basis, but statistics for California show prodigious growth in acreage and value of production: from $9.7 million in 2000 to $93.6 million in 2012, a 621% increase in real dollars . Like strawberries, raspberries and blackberries have benefitted from enhancements in cultural practices. When well-managed, both types of caneberries can produce crops for up to 20 years. However, to maintain acceptable quality and yield Central Coast growers typically manage raspberries and blackberries so that they produce two and five crops, respectively, prior to removal and replanting. In Santa Cruz County, raspberry production was relatively flat in the 1960s and 1970s, but began to increase substantially in the 1980s . This can be explained by a shift from floricane, or spring-bearing varieties, to the then newly developed proprietary primocane, or fall-bearing varieties, that do not carry the productivity constraints associated with the inadequate chill requirements along the Central Coast. Primocane-bearing varieties allow growers to successfully produce a high quality raspberry crop in low- or no-chill coastal locations, and further manipulate time to harvest and yield with pruning and other management practices .

Between 1990 and 2014, the number of acres planted to Santa Cruz and Monterey area raspberries almost tripled, tons produced increased by about 350% and the value of production was up by over 400% in real dollars . Santa Cruz County raspberry growers began to experiment with and adopt field-scale semi-permanent protective structures or tunnels in the 1990s and 2000s . Initially developed in Europe, field-scale tunnels allow growers to extend their production seasons, enhance yield and fruit quality, and capture high off-season prices for fresh market fruit . The controlled environment, and resulting security of production, also allows for greater market stability. Tunnel culture is now a common practice in raspberry production. This shift away from open-field production to protected cropping, along with breeding improvements, has had lasting impacts on the raspberry industry and its expansion. Cultural improvements geared towards fresh market blackberry production are more recent and include advances in breeding for thornless varieties and quality attributes . In 2011, a public primocane-bearing blackberry variety became commercially available for the first time and is now being planted in the area. Since that time, additional public and proprietary primocane-bearing varieties have been in development; some have already become available. Open-field production was the norm until recently, but to ensure marketable fruit of high quality, and as growers have shifted additional acreage to primocane-bearing varieties, tunnel culture has been more widely adopted and, based on discussions with growers, is now estimated at roughly 80% of the acreage. Like organic strawberries, remarkable growth in the statewide production of organic raspberries and blackberries was documented between 2000 and 2012 . Value of production was up over 3,000% in real dollars for organic raspberries and up by almost the same percentage for organic blackberries. It is important to note that although the organic raspberry and blackberry categories have demonstrated extraordinary growth, they still represent a relatively small percentage of all berry production in the area. Research points to several factors that have spurred consumer demand for all berries. Berries contain bioactive compounds, including essential vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants that contribute to healthy diets, and that help to reduce the risks associated with some chronic diseases and cancers . This information has been widely shared with consumers through, for example, government programs promoting healthy eating , and more generic berry promotion programs . Per capita consumption of fresh strawberries in the United States almost doubled from 1994 to 2014, increasing from 4.1 to 8.0 pounds . U.S. per capita consumption of fresh raspberries was small by comparison, at just 0.5 pounds in 2014. Similar consumption data are not available for blackberries, but Cook notes that consumers generally view berries as complementary, and that sales for all berries have increased. Indeed, in 2014, berry sales increased 5.8% over 2013; berries were the number one produce category for U.S. grocery retailers, at $5.7 billion in annual sales . Some berry operations also benefit from their proximity to the area’s urban centers, which have sizeable cohorts of educated, high-income consumers who generally demonstrate an interest in health and wellness, local agriculture and fresh and organic products. In addition to the more traditional grower shipper and direct marketing channels, new technology-driven food marketing companies — virtual food hubs — have evolved to cater to this demographic. They promote the values of sustainable communities, local food economies and business integrity and transparency, all important attributes for new 21st century consumers . These companies form relationships with local growers, provide some technical and market support, and enhance sales and engagement with consumers. It is not yet clear what impacts these still-niche marketing businesses may have on the industry in total. However, growers have responded to the various health and market signals by ramping up production of both conventional and organic products, berries included. Specialists and farm advisors with UC Cooperative Extension have performed economic analyses for Santa Cruz and Monterey county fresh market berry crops for decades . The studies estimate production costs for a representative enterprise based on characteristics common to the area’s farms. Data are collected from established growers, input suppliers and other industry experts so that a diversity of operations and practices are taken into account.