Strawberries
Report #2: Strawberries
Pathway: The strawberry belongs to the family Rosaceae, genus Fragaria. They are one of the most widely consumed fruit throughout the world. This fruit can grow pretty much anywhere except places with extreme climate change. The United States is the largest producer of strawberries in the world. The U.S. strawberry growers mostly use fields to grow this perennial crop whereas other places use mostly greenhouses due to shorter growing seasons. The strawberries that we can buy from Hy-Vee here in Cedar Rapids come from California. California is the number one producer of this fruit in America and accounts for about 80% of the total U.S. strawberry production. As for the path that it fallows when talking about the strawberries they we can get from our local store it starts in California fields where the strawberries are grown. The process starts in different nurseries usually in the northern colder climates because young strawberry plants thrive in those conditions. The commercial farmers buy their “crowns” from these places because it takes usually about two to three months longer to grow a strawberry plant from a seed. These crowns are then shipped south to California where in late August most strawberry producers begin preparing their land the new planting of strawberries. Even though strawberry plants are perennial, most strawberry farmers use them as annuals so they can grow more in a shorter amount of time. After all the strawberries have been harvested, the land is fertilized and plowed. After fertilization and plowing, the soil is mounded, placed into rows and covered with black or white plastic. Usually, when the plastic is laid, drip tape irrigation is simultaneously placed in the ground. These tasks are accomplished with a specialized tractor-machine. The drip tape will be used to water and fertilize the strawberry plants as they grow and produce fruit. After the ground is raised and covered, the plants must be planted.
Pathway: The strawberry belongs to the family Rosaceae, genus Fragaria. They are one of the most widely consumed fruit throughout the world. This fruit can grow pretty much anywhere except places with extreme climate change. The United States is the largest producer of strawberries in the world. The U.S. strawberry growers mostly use fields to grow this perennial crop whereas other places use mostly greenhouses due to shorter growing seasons. The strawberries that we can buy from Hy-Vee here in Cedar Rapids come from California. California is the number one producer of this fruit in America and accounts for about 80% of the total U.S. strawberry production. As for the path that it fallows when talking about the strawberries they we can get from our local store it starts in California fields where the strawberries are grown. The process starts in different nurseries usually in the northern colder climates because young strawberry plants thrive in those conditions. The commercial farmers buy their “crowns” from these places because it takes usually about two to three months longer to grow a strawberry plant from a seed. These crowns are then shipped south to California where in late August most strawberry producers begin preparing their land the new planting of strawberries. Even though strawberry plants are perennial, most strawberry farmers use them as annuals so they can grow more in a shorter amount of time. After all the strawberries have been harvested, the land is fertilized and plowed. After fertilization and plowing, the soil is mounded, placed into rows and covered with black or white plastic. Usually, when the plastic is laid, drip tape irrigation is simultaneously placed in the ground. These tasks are accomplished with a specialized tractor-machine. The drip tape will be used to water and fertilize the strawberry plants as they grow and produce fruit. After the ground is raised and covered, the plants must be planted.
Cited: Castillo, Cassandra A. "The Phaseout of Methyl Bromide | Ozone Layer Protection - Regulatory Programs | US EPA." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 25 Jan. 12. Web. 05 Mar. 2013. This is a government funded website and the articles author was not included in the article. I then contacted the EPA to find out who the author was. They told me her name was Cassandra A. Castillo. and the when this specific article was written. All information is factually correct and the charts are also easy to understand. The article was written about the phasing out of methyl bromide and the time table of it. Charles, Dan. "The Secret Life Of California 's World-Class Strawberries." NPR. NPR, 17 May 2012. Web. 05 Mar. 2013. The author of this article interviews different established farmers that are experts in their area. All information can be verified with a simple click that shows the sources. all information is factually correct and is relatively recent (2012). There is no advertising and it does not seem to have specific commercial or political interest. Roberti, Jane C. "Strawberries." Agriculture in the Classroom. N.p., June 2011. Web. 5 Mar. 2013. The author is clearly stated at the top of the page and has a Ph.D. in agricultural sciences. All resources are posted at the bottom of the page and on the main page there is a link to a list of all resources used. There is no sponsors shown but it does say it is funded by private donations which means that it could be biased but it does not seem that way through the page I used. This article was written to act as a fact sheet for teachers to use in the classroom. Schloemann, Sonia, and Richard A. Bonanno. STRAWBERRY RENOVATION. Publication. 9th ed. Vol. 17. New York: Umass Berry Notes, 2009. New York Berry News. 06 Nov. 2010. Web. 05 Mar. 2013. The authors of this article include a small fruit specialist and horticulturists from the University of Massachusetts. This report was published in New York Berry News. The information was all factual and the resources used were all clearly listed during and at the end of the article. (Reprinted from: New York Berry News, Vol. 4 No. 7, July 15, 2009. Original printing in: UMASS Berry Notes, Vol. 17, No.9, July 8, 2009) This article was written to explain the process of matter row farming. There is not advertising on this page and it does not seem if it is linked to commercial or political interest. Sideman, Eric. "Organic Strawberry Production." Organic Strawberry Production. N.p., 23 Nov. 2011. Web. 05 Mar. 2013. The author has a ph.d. and shows a great understanding of strawberry production. There is a link that takes you to a page with his personal bio. Sources are listed at the bottom of the page and all information is grammatically and spelled correctly. The chart in this article is somewhat easy to understand. This article was originally written for newspaper "The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener". It seems to be political and commercial interest free.