To conclude my Farm Fresh Tour with Know a California Farmer we toured Naturipe Farms, a strawberry farm in Watsonville, CA. They grow conventional and organic strawberries and if you are a lover of strawberries, you've probably eaten theirs at some point in your life.
Tom, from Naturipe explains that a lot goes into growing berries and that the perfect soil conditions play a big part in the success of growing them. We learned the compost used to fertilize the soil is based from fish meal and once this was heard, conversation ensued mentioning that our vegan friends may not enjoy learning this tidbit of information.
We learned that along with state inspections, which are conducted regularly, big box stores, such as CostCo can and do pop in inspections at any time they please to inspect the farm as well, making sure it meets their standards.
Naturipe also grows berries in Mexico and all packaging must be labeled showing where the product is grown. Tom told us that Naturipe abides by the same farming standards and practices no matter what country or state the berries are grown in.
