CALIFORNIA - Ready to dive into the journey of a California strawberry? A lucky group of individuals was recently granted this gift as the California Strawberry Commission (CSC) hosted 10 influencers to give them a behind-the-scenes view of the overall farming process for the delicious fruit that is California strawberries.

“The goal today was to get these influencers to not only love strawberries but to know strawberries—to understand how the whole farming process works,” explained Jeff Cardinale, Director of Communications, regarding the event.

The 10 influencers hailed from several areas of focus—including nutrition, sustainability, and the environment—and were welcomed to California growers’ farms to see just how important the strawberry industry is to the local community and the state of California.

The CSC also harnessed this exclusive tour as an opportunity to increase awareness for California strawberries and the growers who bring them to market.

“More than two-thirds of the growers of strawberries here in California are Latino, so it really is a crop of opportunity,” Jeff continued. “At least a quarter of the owners of strawberry farms started out as field workers themselves.”

Jeff goes on to explain how the goal of the CSC is to advocate for the industry, helping growers maximize what is out in the fields.

“Whether it’s a small individual grower or a grower that has hundreds of acres, the Commission is ready to stand by and help growers with whatever they need,” Jeff added.

Strawberry farmer Mayra Paniagua of Golden State Farms shared some insight into the vital support CSC offers.

“They provide a lot of support to us California strawberry growers; they provide training for us, for our crew,” she said. “They provide guidance as far as marketing and where we can distribute our berries. They’re here to promote California strawberries.”

To find out more, don’t forget to check out the exclusive video above! And stay tuned for more industry updates!

California Strawberry Commission