Strawberries, continued...
a distributor with its own patented varieties. Manabi then expanded into nearby Watsonville on land where the Driscoll family had once grown early varieties developed by the University of California.( 5)
With Dr. Thomas and Earl Goldsmith providing the science, the Driscoll and Reiter Strawberry Associates providing the marketing, and the dedication and contributions of hard working Japanese Americans like Manabi Hirasaki, Lawson Sakai( Driscoll’ s), George Uesugi( Uesugi Farms), and others, the strawberry industry in the area around Gilroy, Morgan Hill, and Watsonville expanded exponentially.
In 1965, Manabi was recruited to oversee the Oxnard-based farm operations of Nod Driscoll, the brother of Ned Driscoll, the founder of DSA. Later, Manabi became the general manager of E. F. Driscoll Farming Trust, with agricultural holdings in Salinas, Watsonville, Santa Maria and Oxnard. In 1978, he became the first Japanese American to serve on the board of directors for DSA. Also appointed to the California Strawberry Advisory Board, he started his own farming operation, Manabi Farms, Inc., in 1978 and farmed strawberries until 1994. Through their philanthropic efforts, Manabi and Sumi helped establish the Japanese American National Museum, and the Manabi and Sumi Hirasaki National Resource Center( HNRC) to ensure that the story of Japanese Americans remains accessible to everyone. They also helped to establish the Go for Broke Education Center in Southern CA, whose mission is to educate and inspire character and equality through the virtue and valor of our World War II American veterans of Japanese ancestry.( 5)
Manabi Hirasaki
The next time you visit a strawberry patch, ask about the history of the farm and its owners, ask about the varieties grown and how they are farmed. And, stop by Andy ' s Orchard during one of his tour dates this summer, and we can discuss The Mariani family history and all the steps in the process of growing delicious strawberries. The tour dates at Andy ' s are posted on the Andy’ s Orchard website at: andysorchard. com
Footnotes:( 1) Native American Uses of California Plants- Ethnobotany. UC Santa Cruz Arboretum, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 https:// arboretum. ucsc. edu / pdfs / ethnobotany-webversion. pdf
( 2) Rhodes Ranch MH: https:// en. wikipedia. org / wiki / Rhodes _ Ranch
( 3) Densho Encyclopedia: https:// encyclopedia. densho. org / Kiyoshi _ Hirasaki
( 4) The Evacuation of Jimmy Hirasaki: https:// calisphere. org / item / ark:/ 13030 / ft209nb0cg / Author: Brian Niiya, Densho
( 5) Manabi Hirasaki: https:// encyclopedia. densho. org / Manabi _ Hirasaki Author: Naomi Hirahara, Densho
( 6) Andy Mariani Photo: David Eddy, Editor, American Fruit Grower ® magazine / Growing Produce article:“ The Last of His Kind Farming Fruit in the Silicon Valley” https:// www. growingproduce. com / fruits / the-last-of-his-kind-farming-fruit-in-the-silicon-valley /
For Further Study: Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History: https:// santacruzmuseum. org
American Curriculum Project. Japanese American Journey: The Story of a People. San Mateo, Calif.: Japanese American Curriculum Project, 1985.
Hirasaki, Manabi, with Naomi Hirahara. A Taste for Strawberries: The Independent Journey of Nisei Farmer Manabi Hirasaki. Los Angeles: Japanese American Nat’ l Museum 2003.
Interview by Corey Yamamoto. Dreams Finally Realized: Manabi Hirasaki. California Nisei College Diploma Project 2010.
44 SUMMER 2025 Gilroy • Morgan Hill TODAY Magazine: Go. Make history... gmhtoday. com