california strawberry commission

What california strawberry commission does

The California Strawberry Commission is a California state-mandated marketing order established to represent and promote the interests of the state's strawberry industry. Founded in 1970 (per the Commission's website) and headquartered in Watsonville, the organization is funded by mandatory assessments on California's strawberry farmers, shippers, and processors under California law. It serves a membership of more than 300 strawberry operators whose combined production accounts for approximately 90% of U.S. strawberries grown on less than 1% of California farmland.

The Commission's core "products" are industry services rather than commercial goods: marketing, research, advocacy, and consumer education. Its consumer-facing website (californiastrawberries.com) hosts a large recipe library, health-and-wellness content, and the #BehindtheBerry farmer and farmworker storytelling program, while its professional channel publishes dietitian toolkits and convenes the Berry Health Benefits Symposium. Its research program channels member funding into sustainable farming R&D through partnerships with the Cal Poly Strawberry Center, UC Davis, and UC Cooperative Extension, with cumulative farmer investment exceeding $17 million in areas such as drip irrigation, integrated pest management, UV-C light technology, mechanical bug vacuums, drone-delivered beneficial insects, and traditional non-GMO strawberry breeding.

Commercially, the Commission generates no product revenue; its operating budget is funded by recurring assessments on its member base. It is governed by a board elected from the industry it represents and functions as a quasi-governmental agricultural marketing body rather than a private enterprise. End markets for the underlying commodity flow through grocery retail, foodservice, farmers markets, and international export channels, but those sales are executed by individual member operators, not by the Commission itself.

Name

california strawberry commission

Legal name

California Strawberry Commission

Website

https://californiastrawberries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The California Strawberry Commission is a state-mandated marketing order funded by assessments from 300+ strawberry growers, shippers, and processors; it funds research, marketing, and advocacy for an industry that produces roughly 90% of U.S. strawberries on less than 1% of California farmland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Marketing Commission

NAICS

Strawberry Farming (111333)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Berry Farming (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Cranberries) (AFAGACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Berry Sorting & Packing Facilities (AFAOAGAD), Greenhouse Fruit & Berry Production (Strawberries, Specialty Fruits) (AFAGAHAB)

Keywords

• Agricultural marketing order
• Strawberry industry research
• Crop sustainability programs
• Grower advocacy services
• Nutrition education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Watsonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. Industry Membership Services: The California Strawberry Commission is funded by California's strawberry farmers, shippers and processors through a state-mandated marketing order. The Commission creates opportunities for success through programs focused on workforce training, strawberry production research, and nutrition research. Revenue supports industry-wide marketing, research, and advocacy activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The California Strawberry Commission is a state-mandated agricultural marketing order that represents over 300 California strawberry farmers, shippers, and processors. Its core offerings include industry-wide marketing and promotion of California strawberries, applied production and nutrition research funded through partnerships with universities, workforce training programs, and consumer and health professional education. The Commission does not sell strawberries directly; instead, it funds research, marketing, and advocacy through mandatory assessments on its member growers.

Product overview

The California Strawberry Commission operates a consumer marketing website promoting California strawberries as a product. The Commission's offerings include fresh California strawberries (representing approximately 90% of U.S. production), a comprehensive recipe library spanning snacks, desserts, main dishes, and holiday recipes, health and wellness educational content about strawberry nutrition, farm story videos featuring farmers and farmworkers, research publications on sustainable farming practices, and professional resources for dietitians and health professionals. The organization is a state agricultural commission, not a technology company, and does not offer software products or APIs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fresh California Strawberries

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of U.S. strawberries are grown in California by CSC members
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cal Poly Strawberry CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Strawberry Center is a partnership between the California Strawberry Commission and Cal Poly. Initially focused on soilborne pathogens and soil fumigation alternatives, the Center continues to increase the sustainability of the California strawberry industry through research and education. In 2023, the partnership celebrated its 10th anniversary. The Commission has invested millions of dollars through this partnership.
• University of CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia strawberry farmers work alongside researchers from the University of California system in developing stronger non-GMO strawberry varieties, reducing pesticide use, and conserving natural resources. The partnership includes UC Davis and UC Cooperative Extension.
• California Department of Pesticide RegulationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2022, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation awarded Dr. John Lin, the Strawberry Center's Automation program director, a grant aimed at promoting the understanding and adoption of UV-C light technology by California's strawberry growers.
• United Nations/FAOminorOthers2026 has been declared the International Year of the Woman Farmer by the United Nations/FAO, recognizing the essential role women play in agriculture worldwide. The California Strawberry Commission is championing this recognition domestically.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Almond Board of California: Federal marketing order for California almonds with parallel structure to the California Strawberry Commission: industry-funded, research-driven, and consumer-marketing oriented.
• California Avocado Commission: California state commodity commission for avocados with the same marketing-order structure, member-funded model, and consumer-marketing + research mandate as the California Strawberry Commission.
• California Table Grape Commission: California state commodity commission representing table grape growers; structurally identical to the California Strawberry Commission as a state-mandated marketing order conducting marketing, research, and advocacy for its members.
• California Walnut Commission: California state marketing order for walnuts; shares the Commission's state-mandated marketing order structure, member assessment funding, and focus on export marketing plus production research.
• Florida Strawberry Growers Association: Trade association representing Florida strawberry growers with similar member-services, research, and marketing mandate; competes seasonally (winter) with California strawberries in U.S. retail.
• Washington State Fruit Commission: State marketing organization for Washington apples with a comparable grower-funded, consumer-marketing and research-driven structure to the California Strawberry Commission.
• North American Blueberry Council: Industry organization for blueberry growers across North America; analogous commodity-marketing and research structure focused on a closely adjacent berry category.

Broad incumbents

• Driscoll's: Largest private berry marketer/grower globally with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries; operates in the same U.S. retail channel and serves as both a member-shipper and a downstream brand competing for shelf space with 'California Strawberries'.
• Naturipe Farms: Large U.S. berry grower-marketer with strawberries, blueberries, and other berries; competes for the same retailer relationships and consumer demand as the California Strawberry Commission's members.

Regional players

• Oregon Strawberry Commission: Regional industry organization for Oregon strawberry growers with similar marketing and research services but operating in a different geographic niche from California's dominant coastal production.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/castrawberries
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrVFG3V1azIGOD5HFtX3R3w
• Facebookfacebook.com/CAStrawberries
• Instagraminstagram.com/castrawberries
• Pinterestpinterest.com/castrawberries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-strawberry-commission

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about california strawberry commission