Rain has California strawberry farmers worried about crops
Strawberries planted by Arroyo Grande farmer Jerry Rutiz of Rutiz Family Farms could be in trouble. "If the forecast is true and we get one to two inches of rain on Friday, it will destroy any of the ripe fruit that's on the plant," explains Rutiz.
Berry plants that were planted back in October have been enjoying the rain so far. "They love to have the rain and the water while they're growing vegetatively, so to have a good amount of rain during December, January, and February is a good thing for the plants," Rutiz says.
But now berries are sprouting and the organic farming practices don't allow for the fungicidal sprays conventional farmers use to create a sort of protective skin around the fruit.
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