The Monterey County Fair To Hold The World's Largest Strawberry Shortcake Event on Thursday, August 30th

Save the Date! On Thursday, August 30th join the Monterey County Fair for "The World's Largest Strawberry Shortcake" in a fun interactive event. End Quote

Salinas, CA (1888PressRelease) July 18, 2012 - The "Very Berry Extraordinary" Monterey County Fair is pleased to announce that it will be competing to create the "The World's Largest Strawberry Shortcake" in a fun interactive event sponsored by Naturipe Farms to be held on Thursday, August 30th during the Fair.

The strawberry shortcake will be placed on a platform located between the Home Arts Building and Wool Building near Gate 4. After the Fair opens at Noon that day, the public is invited to come out lend a hand in building the Shortcake and also enjoy a delicious slice when it's completed in the early afternoon. Monterey County's $713 million strawberry industry inspired this year's "Very Berry Extraordinary" Fair theme.

Naturipe Farms LLC is a grower-owned producer and international marketer of healthy, best tasting, premium berries. With production primarily from multi generation family farms, located in the prime berry growing regions throughout North and South America. The diverse grower base ensures year-round availability of "locally grown" and "in-season global" conventional and organic berries. Naturipe Farms, formed in 2000, is a partnership between Naturipe Berry Growers, Hortifrut SA, MBG Marketing and Munger Farms. With sales and customer service offices located strategically throughout the USA - Salinas CA., Grand Junction MI., Estero FL., Boston MA., Wenatchee WA., Atlanta GA.

Naturipe Berry Growers, Inc., brings the finest strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, both conventional and organic, to market. Owned "by growers for growers" and based in Salinas, California, Naturipe Berry Growers, Inc. growers operate in all key growing districts in California, Florida and Mexico. With over 90 years of experience, select growers and solid, safe growing practices Naturipe Berry Growers, Inc., is an undisputed industry leader. They will provide free samples when they provide the "Commodity of the Day" in the Ag Building on Saturday, September 1st.

More about the Strawberry Industry (Source: California Strawberry Commission):

California is the nation's leading producer of strawberries. In 2011, more than 2.1 billion pounds of strawberries were harvested. That amounts to 88 percent of the country's total fresh and frozen strawberries. California's unique coastal environment with its western ocean exposure provides moderate temperatures year round. Warm sunny days and cool foggy nights are the perfect combination for growing strawberries.

The value of the California strawberry crop is approximately $2.3 billion with $713 million coming from Monterey County. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, strawberries are the sixth most valuable fruit crop produced in California.

Where Strawberries are Grown

In California, strawberries are planted on more 38,300 acres. Coastal California's rich sandy soil and temperate climate extends the strawberry growing season 500 miles up the coast from San Diego to the Monterey Bay. Strawberry production shifts between north and south with the changing seasons. Fall and winter production starts in October in Ventura County and reaches south into Orange and San Diego Counties in late December or early January. Production in the south generally extends into April or May. Staggered planting schedules in the Santa Maria area bridges the seasons, with the harvest beginning in March, and continues into the late fall.

California's northern strawberry growing region is south of San Francisco and includes Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties and some acreage in Santa Clara and San Benito counties. Watsonville and Salinas account for almost half of the state's strawberry acreage. Shipments from northern areas begin in April, peak in May or June, and continue through November.

Growing & Harvesting

Strawberries are grown as an annual crop in California. The plants are first grown in a nursery and then transplanted into the fields by growers. In the northern districts, plants are replaced each fall at the end of harvest, and lay dormant through the winter. In the Oxnard and Santa Maria regions, plantings in late July through September provide strawberries through the fall and winter.

California's 12-month growing season contributes to higher strawberry yields per acre than any other growing area. Other areas of the country have shorter production cycles, from an average of five-months to as short as a few weeks.

Hand-Picked

All California strawberries are hand-picked to ensure only the highest quality berries are harvested. Strawberry plants continually produce new fruit throughout their season. During peak season plants are harvested every three days.

Fresh strawberries are rushed to coolers, where huge fans remove the field heat, and then shipped within 24 hours on refrigerated trucks or air freighted to their final destination. Strawberries selected for processing are gently washed, sorted and frozen quickly to ensure the best flavor and appearance. Berries are sliced, pureed or kept whole for freezing.

Around the World

Of all the California strawberries produced each year, approximately 75 percent are harvested for the fresh market, while about 25 percent are frozen for the processed market. Approximately 16.3 percent of the fresh California strawberry crop is annually exported. Canada, Mexico, Japan and Hong Kong are the largest importers of California strawberries. Canada receives the majority of California's fresh and frozen exports. (More information at www.californiastrawberries.com.)

The Monterey County Fairgrounds is a premiere event center set on 22 oak-studded acres with ample parking. It is a state-owned multi-use facility that features 4 large banquet rooms, 3 smaller meeting rooms, 2 outdoor concert venues, and a variety of outdoor and indoor cost-effective sites ideal for all types of events. It is home of the annual award-winning Monterey County Fair, host to many major and private events on the Central Coast, and the site of the Monterey Bay Race Place, a Satellite Wagering Facility. The Monterey County Fair is the 7th District Agricultural Association of the State of California and was recently featured on California's Golden Fairs with Huell Howser that aired nationally on PBS Television.

The Monterey County Fair is the 7th District Agricultural Association of the State of California. The 2012 "Very Berry Extraordinary" Monterey County Fair will be held on August 29-September 3, 2012. For more information, to book an event or to become a sponsor of the 2012 Monterey County Fair, contact the Fair Administration Office, at 2004 Fairground Road in Monterey, by calling (831) 372-5863 or www.montereycountyfair.com.

PUBLICITY CONTACT: WENDY BRICKMAN
(831) 633-4444 or brickman ( @ ) brickmanmarketing dot com

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