New York State ranks 8th in the nation in strawberry production. Statewide there are over 1700 acres in production yielding 3.6 million pounds with a cash value of nearly 8.5 million dollars. The vast majority of the crop is sold from late May into early July as part of the June bearing crop that is grown in a perennial matted row system. This crop has a significant emotional bond with consumers. Strawberries have long been the first locally grown crop of the season. Picking strawberries is one of the most popular agricultural activities in upstate NY with most communities hosting delicious strawberry festivals. Ninety-five percent of the crop is sold this way, often picked by customers and always for immediate fresh consumption. The remaining 5% of the crop is used for value-added processing.

With the advent of ever-bearing (also called day neutral) varieties many strawberry farmers have been able to offer NY consumers high quality, locally grown fresh strawberries later in the season - from August to November. Other production innovations include growing on plastic mulch to help reduce herbicide inputs and growing strawberries in high tunnels to lower the incidence of botrytis gray mold and other pests.

For more information about strawberry production, visit the Cornell Berry website.

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