Consumers who were asked to pick their favorite fruits from a list of 14 chose strawberries most often in research by the California Strawberry Commission. Strawberries were named 43 percent of the time, followed by bananas, watermelon, apples and grapes. Adults asked to name their children’s favorite fruits picked strawberries 29 percent of the time, followed by bananas and grapes.
The findings were based on an online survey of more than 1,500 consumers who were the primary shoppers in their households.
Separately, the commission found 96 percent of consumers are eating strawberries, and more than half of those are eating them at least once a week.
That’s good news for Virginia berry producers, whose fruit is now available in most parts of the state.
“May and June are the peak season for the strawberry harvest in Virginia, depending on the area of the state in which they are grown,” said Tony Banks, a commodity marketing specialist with Virginia Farm Bureau Federation. “Many growers now also have varieties that are harvested throughout the entire summer.”
Tom Baker of Brookdale Farm in Virginia Beach said he has plenty of strawberries for consumers to pick at his pick-your-own farm.
“We are looking at a large crop this year, and our peak should come right in the 10-day period around Mother’s Day,” Baker said. “We will be loaded with strawberries ripe for the picking; we just need good picking weather so consumers will come out to pick!”
Robert Vaughan of Vaughan Farm’s Produce, also of Virginia Beach, said he too has plenty of berries.
“Right now our berries are looking very good,” Vaughan said. “We’re hoping to have a lot of pickers. We hope to have at least three varieties coming off the vines; we just need great weather.”
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