History
Yerena Strawberry Farm is located on 34 beautiful acres in Watsonville - 10 acres of which are bush berries and 24 acres of which are mixed varieties of strawberries. Eight of the 24 acres of strawberries are organic strawberries (FeNella's Berries). In business for 26 years, Yerena Strawberry Farm is family owned and operated. "Everybody in the family has responsibilities," says Gilbert's wife, Sally Yerena. Gilbert Sr. is the grower and manages the overall business and sales while Sally oversees payroll and accounting. 20 year old Gilbert Jr. is in charge of deliveries and farmers' markets - loading the trucks and selling. 18 year old Jenny also sells at farmers' markets and is responsible for preparing all bags, signage and supplies for market day. 12 year old Lizette is in charge of inputting invoices and time sheets, as well as making sure the cash box is counted and ready to go to market. Four year old Andrew watches it all and "wants to be everywhere his father is and do everything his father does." "The children have a lot of responsibility - they are up at 6:00am. They can't stay up late and party like most kids," says Sally. Their responsibilities have given them social skills, money handling experience and a valuable work ethic. Gilbert Jr. is majoring in Crop Science and Agriculture Business and plans to continue in the family business. This is one hard-working family and the pride within is not easy to miss. "We all help each other and motivate each other", says Gilbert Sr.
"Berries are harvested every month except between January and March. They are picked, sorted and packed by hand." A harvester can pick anywhere from 4 to 12 boxes per hour, "depending on how good he or she is". Since strawberries grow best in areas of warm, sunny days and foggy nights, the Watsonville coastline is an ideal growing area. Strawberries are planted once a season - with a one-week window to plant. Gilbert plants 22,000 strawberry plants per acre and 3,000 bush berries per acre. Green mulch is used with the strawberry plants for weed control, unwanted insects and also to help the fruit come out cleaner. Enemies are rabbits, moisture and excessive heat. Gilbert's least favorite thing about farming is Mother Nature, "farming is a gamble - there are challenges everyday" but, the challenges are also what Gilbert likes most about the business. "What makes our farm unique is that we package our berries in different size clamshell containers to accommodate our customer's needs". That service and the fact that "the whole family takes part when production is in full-swing", are what separates Gilbert's offering from the others - another special farmer that truly "grows pride."
Primary Product Strawberries: the most popular varieties are seascape, camarosa, aroma, camino real, chandlier, pajaro - all have distinguished flavors and textures. "My favorite is the pajaro - a smooth, round, shiny berry. The flavor is always there", says Gilbert Sr.
Tips for Selecting: "Since berries do not ripen off the vine, look for firm, shiny red, smooth berries without white patches. At home, store strawberries in the refrigerator in the original clamshell container with a paper towel underneath to absorb the moisture. Clean berries only when ready to serve or cook. Lightly rinse under cold water and shake off excess moisture. Remove stems after washing. Once rinsed, berries will spoil quickly. Vine ripe berries keep in refrigerator as long as five days".
Secondary Products
Apolinar, Gilbert's brother, grows the bush berries and other vegetables like blue lake beans, yellow wax beans, Kentucky wonder beans, crook neck summer squash, green and yellow scallops, green and yellow zucchini, peppers and tomatoes.
Red Rasperries
May–November
Good for jams, shakes, tarts, desserts.
Red Tay Berries
May–July
Tangy, sweet - good for pies & cakes.
Golden Raspberries
May–September
Good for jams, shakes, tarts, desserts.
Blackberries
June–September
Ollallie Berries
June–July
Good for pies - tangy & sweet, Gilbert's favorite.
"26 years ago, we started growing strawberries for local shippers where 100% of the berries would go on consignment. Needless to say, the returns were always disappointing. We started looking for a way to survive our farming operation. In the summer of 1984 we did our first farmers' market - Alemaney San Francisco. This was our stepping stone to direct marketing", says Gilbert Sr.
You can find Gilbert's berries and other products at the following farmers' markets: San Rafael Civic Center, Downtown San Rafael, Old Oakland, Ferry Plaza, Alemaney San Francisco, Hayward, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, San Rafael Civic Center, Japantown San Jose, Campbell, Evergreen San Jose, Fremont Irvington, Downtown Civic Center San Francisco, and Embarcadero San Francisco. Local chain stores also carry Yerena's delicious conventional and organic strawberries: Whole Foods, Food Max, Albertsons, and soon Food 4 Less.
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