Florida Strawberry Members

Welcome to the home of the freshest, most delicious strawberries in the world. Enjoy fresh Florida strawberries, available December through April.

Berry Bay U-Pick 2015

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Berry Bay Farms

Berry Bay U-Pick is Closed.

Mid-March is Berry Bay Farms’ U-Pick season usually begins. They will allow the public to pick their own strawberries in March. Please check their website or you can call their office at (813) 642-9866 for more information.

No need to schedule an appointment. Just come out to the farm, once the fields have opened for u-pick, and they will greet you at the gate.

Berry Bay Farms is solely owned by Marvin and Linda Brown.  They have been in the strawberry business since 1978 and have been involved with several more farms and 2 cooler/sales companies.

If you have any further questions, please email them at [email protected].

Location:
5135 Bonita Drive
Wimauma, FL 33598

Helpful U-Pick Tips:

  • Dress comfortably. Wear loose fitting clothing.
  • Wear a hat or cap and bring sunscreen.
  • Bring your own containers to transport.
  • If you plan to spend the day, take ice to keep berries cool.
  • Select only firm ripe berries.
  • Be careful not to remove the tops of the berries.
  • Make an effort to pick every ripe berry on each plant rather than jumping from plant to plant and row to row.

The growers will appreciate your consideration and you will reduce the amount of strawberries that are left sitting in the field.

Valentine’s Day

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Celebrate Valentine’s Day & Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month with sweet & nutritious winter strawberries

Celebrate Valentines Day with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and Roses
Celebrate Valentines Day with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries and Roses

PLANT CITY, Fla. – Surprise your Valentine this week with something unique, fresh and nutritious – Florida winter strawberries! At the same time you can celebrate Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month.

Strawberries are the perfect treat. They’re heart shaped, ruby red, sweet, juicy and they pack a healthy punch. You can enjoy fresh berries many ways, including chocolate dipped, dropped in a romantic glass of sparkling wine, covered in whipped or fresh cream or eaten out of hand.

Giving strawberries also means you truly care about your sweetheart’s heart – and health. Because they contain lots of Vitamin C, fiber, and provide potassium, magnesium, iron, Vitamin B-6 and calcium, they are a much healthier alternative to traditional Valentine’s Day candy.

Consumers can enjoy this unique winter berries annually from November through April, when fresh-from-the-field, U.S.-grown strawberries are delivered to markets east of the Mississippi River, including the Eastern Seaboard and parts of Canada.

The Florida Strawberry Growers Association celebrates the peak of its season each February during Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month. It’s perfect timing for strawberry lovers and romantics alike. A few romantic strawberry facts include:

  • The strawberry is the symbol of Venus, the goddess of love.
  • In medieval times, strawberries were served at important functions to bring peace and prosperity.
  • Folklore states that if you split a double strawberry in half and share it with the opposite sex, you’ll soon fall in love.
  • In France, strawberries were thought to be an aphrodisiac.

Plant City, Fla., has been proclaimed “The Winter Strawberry Capital of the World.” The ideal climate and productive soils, along with dedicated family farms that have existed for many generations, provide the most locally grown and “Fresh from Florida” strawberries during the winter months.

Local growers and members of the FSGA produce about 15 percent of the nation’s strawberries and virtually all the berries grown during the winter. The commodity has an economic impact on the local community exceeding $700 million.  For more information about FSGA, visit www.flastrawberry.com.

Fresh From Florida Billboards Promote Strawberries

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services today launched a new “Fresh From Florida” marketing campaign with billboard ads across the state that feature fresh Florida produce.

New Advertising Campaign First of Its Kind in Florida
New Advertising Campaign First of Its Kind in Florida

“These billboards will showcase wholesome and delicious Florida strawberries, tomatoes and sweet corn,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “The new ad campaign will help us increase awareness for the seasonal availability of ‘Fresh From Florida’ products.”

Beginning today, the billboard ads will be up in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Boynton Beach and Tallahassee. The strawberry billboards will go through February, followed by tomatoes and sweet corn.

Read more at: Fresh from Florida

Growers Donate to Childrens Charity

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Florida strawberry growers help Marines fill bags for local Toys for Tots program
Florida strawberry growers help Marines fill bags for local Toys for Tots program

For the seventh year in a row, members of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association donated toys to the local U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program. According to a news release, members of the Association attended their annual awards banquet on Dec. 12 with gifts in hand.

“Seven large bags were overflowing with toys during the 32nd Annual Florida Strawberry Growers Association Awards Banquet, known as the Jam,” Sue Harrell, director of marketing, said in a press release.

Read more at The Packer.

Strawberry Growers Help Marines Fill Toys for Tots Bags

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When the members of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association attend their annual awards banquet, they don’t show up empty handed. For the seventh year in a row, the strawberry farmers used this opportunity on Dec. 12 to support the local U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program.

FSGA Director of Marketing Sue Harrell, Marine Corps Master Sgt. Danny Ramirez and FSGA Executive Director Kenneth Parker collect donations for Tampa Bay Toys for Tots. Photo by Rising Lotus Photography.
FSGA Director of Marketing Sue Harrell, Marine Corps Master Sgt. Danny Ramirez and FSGA Executive Director Kenneth Parker collect donations for Tampa Bay Toys for Tots. Photo by Rising Lotus Photography.

“Each member who attends brings an unwrapped gift for a boy or girl for ages infant to 14,” said Sue Harrell, director of marketing for FSGA. Harrell said growers also contribute cash to the effort so the local Toys for Tots campaign can purchase items to meet the unique needs of the children they serve in the Tampa Bay area.

“Seven large bags were filled to overflowing with toys during the 32nd Annual FSGA Awards Banquet, known as the Jam,” Harrell said.

Also for the seventh year, Master Sgt. Danny Ramirez was on hand to accept the toy and cash donations from Harrell and FSGA Executive Director Kenneth Parker (photo attached/available).

The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is the Marine Corps’ premier community action program and the only charitable endeavor within the Department of Defense that reaches outside the military establishment to give something back to the communities from which it draws the young men and women who wear the uniforms of the armed services of the United States.

The U.S. Marines have distributed more than 469 million toys to over 216 million needy children throughout the nation. For more information about the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, visit the website at http://www.toysfortots.org/
The Florida Strawberry Growers Association was formed in 1982, and became a voice for Florida strawberry growers. Its mission continues to allow farmers to be partners in research, promotion and member/community service. Local growers and members of the FSGA produce about 15 percent of the nation’s strawberries and virtually all the berries grown during the winter. The commodity, grown on approximately 11,000 acres, has an economic impact on the local community exceeding $700 million. For more information about FSGA, visit www.flastrawberry.com.

About Florida Winter Strawberries

In 1980, a few strawberry growers began meeting in their homes to discuss the best way to organize a group that would represent the interests of the Florida strawberry industry. On February 11, 1982, the Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA) was born. Hillsborough County is recognized as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World and the home of some of the sweetest, reddest and juiciest strawberries around.

Get Connected

Florida Strawberry Growers Association
P.O. Box: 2550
Plant City, FL 33564
Telephone: 813-752-6822
Fax: 813-752-216

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