In 2022, the consumption of strawberries in the United States reached approximately 8 pounds per person, positioning strawberries as the seventh most-consumed fruit and the preferred berry in the country. The primary source of strawberries for the American market is California, responsible for about 90% of the annual production, with Florida contributing around 8%.
Other states such as New York, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington share the remainder of the production. California's dominance in strawberry cultivation is attributed to its mild climate, facilitating year-round growth and harvests.
Strawberry plants thrive in temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, requiring 6 to 10 hours of sunlight daily. The state's extensive strawberry farms are located in regions including Watsonville, Salinas, Santa Maria, Oxnard, Orange County, and San Diego. In response to rising consumer demand, California farmers expanded their strawberry cultivation to an estimated 41,570 acres in 2023, yielding approximately 2.57 billion pounds of strawberries.
Source: chowhound.com