The Joy of Strawberries
The Seeds of Industry and Local Roots
by Mike Monroe with Mike Sanchez
Close your eyes for a moment and envision a field of strawberries. Do you see a verdant carpet of inviting strawberries with small white blossoms poking through the leaves?
Or imagine the aroma of perfectly ripened red berries ready to be picked and savored. Perhaps you recall relaxing on a warm summer evening, with a dish of rich vanilla ice cream topped with strawberries. Such enjoyable moments call to mind a slice of heaven.
John Lennon of the Beatles wrote a somewhat confusing song entitled Strawberry Fields Forever about a memory of playing in an English garden amongst the rows of strawberries. Recalling the simple pleasure of tasting a luscious strawberry in the summertime harkens us back to when southern Santa Clara County, the last vestige of the Valley of Heart ' s Delight, nurtured many strawberry farms. Anyone who has access to some sunshine can grow strawberries. It ' s fun to discover the varieties, whether they be June-bearing or day-neutral plants, propagated from seeds or starts, and designing a harvest plan for canning or freezing and preserving some of those red treasures. As always, eating the glossy ripe berries fresh out of hand always provides immediate satisfaction for both young and old. of stomach disorders. The roots were also chewed to reduce gum inflammation and clean teeth.
Strawberries were one of the many native plant resources that California Native Americans tended to and used for many generations up until this very day.( 1)
Map of the Amah Mutsun lands on the Central Coast
Map by Amah Mutsun Tribal Band: amahmutsun. org
The History of Strawberries in the South Bay
Gilroy and Morgan Hill have a long strawberry history. Indigenous Native Americans in Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and greater Bay Area, including the Amah Mutsun, Muwekma Ohlone and Tamien Nation tribes, utilized both beach and woodland strawberries as a food and medicine source. California Native Americans used strawberries fresh, dried, and preserved. They preserved their strawberries into delicious jams and jellies. The Pomo tribe were some of the first peoples to have their very own strawberry festival. They celebrated it in mid-spring when the first berries of the year were seen. Only after the festival were tribal members allowed to harvest strawberries.( 1)
Many California tribes used the strawberry plant for their ailments as well. Wild strawberry leaves were used to brew teas high in vitamin C. A tea was also made from the roots for relief
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Charles Mason Hovey and the Quest Europeans have been enamored with Alpine strawberries for hundreds of years. Early explorers to the Americas brought strawberry plants from Chile and colonial Virginia back to France, cultivating them to produce the first modern garden strawberries. Massachusetts Horticulturist Charles Mason Hovey is recognized as the first strawberry breeder to develop a North American variety in 1834. The Hovey Hybrid launched what is known as the " quest for the perfect strawberry," which became the title for Industry Expert Herbert Baum’ s 2006 book. The word " quest " is very appropriate because growing strawberries for commercial distribution demands hardy varieties that produce sweet, attractive fruit. The berries must have an ability to handle packing, storage, transportation, soil pests, and temperature swings all the while retaining a freshpicked flavor. In California, the“ quest” has been ongoing for more than 150 years.( continued...)
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