California has a national strawberry day!!
The California Strawberry Festival is an annual strawberry festival that takes place in Ventura. The event is held at the Ventura County Fairgrounds on the third weekend of May. #verticalfarming,
The 64th Garden Grove Strawberry Festival will be May 24-27.
California farms provide more than 80% of the nation’s strawberries.?In 2022, the strawberry market in California was valued at $2.6 billion. It’s about $3.2 billion in the U.S.
Strawberries rank second in nutritional value among all fruits. According to the Wellness Encyclopedia of Food and Nutrition, one-half cup of strawberries supplies more fiber than a slice of whole wheat bread and more than 70% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
California farmers are ideal candidates for upgrading from open field cultivation to greenhouse cultivation, to ensure better control over growing variables.
Vertical aeroponic farming under greenhouses is the best fit due to the higher plant density, ranging from 60 to 100 plants per square meter, compared to 6 to 8 plants per square meter in open fields. This enables exponential production and lowers the cost of production per square meter.
Aeroponics is a water and nutrient-efficient technique that saves energy and labor. Vertical aeroponics is highly labor-efficient due to its compact growing systems. Flora Consult has developed expertise in growing strawberries using vertical aeroponics.
In January 2023, rainstorms caused havoc in Californian strawberry fields, resulting in losses of $200 million and affecting 1,840 acres of land.
Interesting article and information by Kurt Snibbe , at Siliconvalley.com,