Berries
For nearly as long as humans have been foraging for food sources, berries have been a critical part of our diet. Today, berry crops around the world supply consumers with hundreds of different types. Berry crop farmers combine decades of experience with modern solutions to challenging problems, empowering them to bring the best possible crop to market.
Grown in every state in the United States as well as every province in Canada, strawberries are one of the most widely enjoyed fruits. Known botanically as Fragaria ananassa and a member of the Rosaceae family, strawberries can vary in size and shaped based upon the growing conditions and cultivar. All varieties of strawberries have seeds on their exterior rather than their interior as is common with other commonly consumed berries.
Raspberries rank in the top 10 of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables. Currently, grown all over the world, major producers include the United States, Chile, Russia, Yugoslavia, Germany, and Poland. Made up of their iconic clusters of bead-like fruit, called drupelets, each raspberry can contain from 100-120 seeds. Growing from a perennial root system, each shoot is biennial in nature and only survives approximately 2 years.
Cranberries have long been a staple of North American diets. Today, cranberries are grown extensively in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Oregon. The plant is typically cultivated on acidic soils of peat or vegetable mold with a surface layer of sand. The American cranberry (V. macrocarpon) is one of the most commercially significant species. They can be round, oblong or pear shaped and vary greatly in color from pink to dark red and can even be mottled red and white.
Blueberries, being rich in dietary fiber, vitamin K, vitamin C, iron, manganese, and antioxidants, have long been considered a “superfood.” Blueberries grow only in highly acidic and well-drained but moist soils in areas with cool climates. Most blueberries are grown commercially in North and South America. Increased consumption and opportunities have led to a growing number of farms throughout Europe and the rest of the world.
Known for their deep color and rich flavor, blackberries have become a supermarket staple around the world and are grown for fresh eating, freezing, and processing. Native to temperate regions of North America and Europe, blackberry plants are prickly, fruit-bearing shrubs in the genus Rubus of the rose family. They thrive in full sun and fertile, well-drained soil.