Costco Connection

Getting the berry most from your strawberries COSTCO STRAWBERRIES are not cleaned at harvest because moisture reduces shelf life. Refrigerate them as soon as possible. When ready to eat, rinse the berries under cool water and remove the green caps. For best flavor, serve at room temperature.

Picked fresh, packed daily

We travel to a strawberry ;eld planted specially for Costco. ;e rows are neat and kept clear of weeds to discourage pests and plant disease. A fully integrated irrigation system conserves water. Large, full-colored strawberries peek out from healthy green plants—everywhere.

I spy a man testing the soil, plants and fruit, and taking photos. I am told that he is an independent third-party inspector who veri;es variety, quality, size and the accuracy of traceability protocols.

As I take a big bite out of a sweet and fragrant Costco strawberry, it strikes me that every berry I see will very soon be on a member’s table.

When I mention this to Mike and Todd, I learn about the darker side of the business. It seems many retailers play the strawberry market, negotiating lower prices for unsold older berries they ;nd sitting around in surplus coolers. Costco plays no games. All Costco strawberries are picked fresh and packed to order daily.

Todd says, “We also don’t send out a whole week’s order. Instead, we ship continuously, targeting a two-day supply in each warehouse.”

The bounty of Baja

;e next day Todd and I travel to the coastal town of San Quintin, Rancho Don Juanito is another multi-generation family-owned and family-operated strawberry farm, and they employ the latest state-of-the-art hydroponic and organic strawberry-growing technologies.

Todd tells me, “Our fruit and produce
department continues to focus on developing
relationships with farmers who are experts in
organic, pesticide-residue-free and hydro-
ponic [hothouse] products.”
For both their conventionally and their
organically grown strawberries, whether har-
vested in California or Baja, A&W follows all
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Food
and Drug Administration and Department of
Agriculture guidelines, as well as the even
stricter regulatory requirements imposed by
the state of California.

All Costco suppliers must also pass an annual, independent third-party-verified food safety audit and sign Costco’s code of conduct. Food safety measures cover ;eld practices, harvesting crews, packing facilities and distribution facilities.

A&W president Fred Williamson, who
has traveled with us, states, “All our Baja straw-
berry-farming operations meet or exceed
U.S. standards.”
Baja California, to visit the Gonzalez
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Seeking the best farming practices

Every tray of strawberries packed for A&W can be traced back to the original grower, ;eld, date and time of harvest, and harvest crew. ;e open-;eld strawberries for Costco are not harvested if weather is any heavier than a light rain, because quality would be poorer. And green material from the ;elds is composted at a community recycling program the Gonzalez family created.

We move on to the closed-system hydroponic facility. I ;nd tabletop growing platforms of strong, healthy plants looked a;er by “good” bugs such as bumblebees. ;e bees naturally pollinate the strawberries and eat “bad” bugs, keeping crops healthy. No herbicides or arti;cial ripening agents are used, and genetic modi;cation is not allowed.

The highly protected environment ensures a reliable supply of ;avorful, high-quality strawberries for Costco. Best of all, less water is required, the footprint is three times smaller and yields are up to two times greater than conventional farming methods.

Our last stop is the new outdoor organic strawberry farm, three years in the making. ;e plants and berries are breathtaking. Some Costco locations in the southern areas of the country will receive test shipments of these berries this summer: lucky you!

Strawberries are a sweet deal. ;ey contain essential vitamins and minerals, heart-healthy ;ber and disease-;ghting antioxidants; one serving (about eight strawberries) has only 50 calories. But the way strawberries are grown, harvested and handled by Costco is the sweetest deal of all. C