California Berry Cultivars (CBC) is an independent strawberry breeding company headquartered in California. According to the 2026 California Strawberry Commission Acreage Survey, the organization's varieties account for over 4,600 acres — approximately 14 percent of all fall-planted strawberry acreage in the state — making it one of the largest independent breeding programs in the industry.
On Friday, March 6, CBC is hosting its first-ever near-commercial scale field day at a grower's ranch in Oxnard, in partnership with Gem-Pack Berries. This is a departure from the typical research farm setting, putting varieties in front of growers in a real production environment.
© California Berry Cultivars
The CBC's test plot in Oxnard.
For the event, which is an opportunity to see how current cultivars and advanced selections are performing at acreage scale under real production conditions, attendees will meet at a grower's ranch where there are near-commercial-scale CBC trials in the ground.
The three commercially available varieties are:
- Adelanto: an ultra-early short-day variety that produces in December and January when market prices peak. Currently planted on nearly 700 acres in California with rapid year-over-year growth.
- Belvedere: a premium short-day with exceptional fruit appearance and flavor, averaging brix of 11.0 or higher. Positioned for premium fresh markets.
- Castaic: the organization's highest-yielding short-day, producing nearly 8,900 trays per acre of firm, evenly colored, large fruit in trials. It is new to the market this season.
© California Berry Cultivars
A close up of the variety Adelanto.
- Date: Friday, March 6th, 2026, at 10:00AM PST
- Where: Ranch entrance on Wood Rd, between Laguna Rd and Etting Rd, Oxnard, CA
- Focus: Cultivar performance and near-commercial pipeline update
Several advanced selections still in development will also be on display. Lunch will be provided and those who wish to attend can RSVP here.
For more information:
Kyle VandenLangenberg
California Berry Cultivars
[email protected]
https://www.cbcberry.com/
