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
s
s
rh i
l
lr
ry
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
A&W’s closed-system hydroponics facil- ity in Baja has greater yields and uses less water than conventional growing.
DOMINIC ESCALAN TE
MAY 2010 ;e Costco Connection 75