Strawberry
Fragaria × ananassa
High-value perennial berry suitable for Zones 4-8 using matted-row or plasticulture; requires well-drained soil, consistent moisture, intensive management for optimal yields of 5-10k lbs/acre.
Crop Snowflake Score
/acre
/acre
/acre
years
Overview
Growing Season
- Plant
- April (matted row) – April (matted row)
- Harvest
- Late May - early July – Late May - early July
- Frost-free days
- 150+
- GDD (base 50°F)
- 1,500
Yield
- Typical yield
- 5,000 lbs/acre
- Productive lifespan
- 3 years
- Years to full prod.
- 2
- Labor
- 120 hrs/acre
Market Fit
Active Regional Buyers
Established crop with known regional buyers
Price Trend Stable/Up
Price stable over past 3 years
Supply Below Demand
Regional supply roughly balanced with demand
Multiple Buyer Channels
Multiple market channels: wholesale, retail, processing, and/or direct
Value-Added Potential
Strong value-added potential through processing, direct sales, or specialty products
Market Growth Projected
Stable market outlook
Market Channels
Climate Fit
Hardiness Zone Match
Region's hardiness zone within crop range (4.0-8.0)
GDD Sufficient
Regional GDD (2600) meets crop requirement (1500)
Precipitation Compatible
Regional precipitation (~40 in/yr) compatible with crop needs
Frost-Free Season OK
Frost-free season (160 days) meets crop requirement (150 days)
Chill Hours Met
Regional chill hours (1100) meet crop requirement (400+)
Climate Trend Favorable
Climate projections remain favorable for this crop in the region
Soil Compatibility
Soil Texture
Drainage
Infrastructure Fit
Equipment Compatible
Some specialized equipment needed but adaptable from existing vineyard infrastructure
Storage Available
Cold storage needed; may require investment
Irrigation Compatible
Irrigation beneficial; existing vineyard irrigation systems adaptable
Field Layout Suitable
Vineyard field layouts suitable for this crop
Labor Availability
High labor requirements; seasonal labor availability may be challenging
Processing Proximity
No nearby specialized processing; may need direct marketing or shipping
Equipment Requirements
planting
General utility tractor for bed prep, cultivation, and mowing. Fixed cost shared across farm.
Forms raised plastic-mulched beds 6-8 inches high — essential for matted row and plasticulture strawberry systems.
Required for plasticulture (annual) production; lays plastic, drip tape, and forms beds in one pass.
Speeds transplanting of plug strawberries through plastic; 1- or 2-row models.
irrigation
Per-acre cost including drip tape, header lines, filters, and fertigation injector. Essential for plasticulture and beneficial for matted row.
Per-acre; critical in northern regions for bloom-time frost protection. Saves crops from freeze events down to ~24°F.
spraying
For fungicide (botrytis, anthracnose) and insecticide programs. 25-100 gallon tank common for small-medium operations.
harvesting
Picking trays (clamshells or quarts), flats, and rolling harvest carts. Hand-harvest is standard for fresh market.
Only used for processing-grade fruit (purees/IQF). Not applicable to fresh market, PYO, or direct-market growers.
post_harvest
Walk-in cooler to rapidly cool fruit to 32-34°F within 1-2 hours of harvest. Forced-air units improve cooling speed.
Storage Requirements
Fresh cold storage
Temperature
32–36°F
Humidity
90–95%
Max Storage
7 days
Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)
Temperature
32–36°F
Humidity
90–95%
Max Storage
14 days
Frozen (IQF)
Temperature
-10–0°F
Max Storage
365 days
Finance Fit
Revenue Above Average
Gross revenue ($12,500/acre) exceeds regional average
Input Costs Acceptable
Annual operating costs ($2,000/acre) within typical farm budgets
Payback Period OK
Reaches full production in 2 years; acceptable payback
Insurance Available
Federal crop insurance available
Revenue Per Labor Hour
Revenue per labor hour ($104) is competitive
Grants/Subsidies
Grant and subsidy programs available (Specialty Crop Block Grant, EQIP, Beginning Farmer, etc.)
Economics Breakdown
| Avg Price/Unit | $2//lb |
| Gross Revenue/Acre | $18,000 |
| Annual Operating Cost | $2,000/acre |
| Establishment Cost | $1,500/acre |
| Total Input Cost | —/acre |
| Net Return/Acre | $4,000 |
| Revenue/Labor Hour | — |
| Crop Insurance | Available |
Source: Penn State Extension Strawberry Production (matted row) (2025)
Risk Fit
Manageable Pest/Disease
Significant pest/disease pressure requiring intensive management
Market Diversified
Market access diversified across multiple channels
Low Establishment Risk
Moderate establishment risk; manageable with planning
Climate Resilient
Moderate climate resilience for the region
Regulatory Burden Low
Minimal regulatory burden for production and sale
Diversifies Portfolio
Diversifies farm revenue away from grape monoculture
Known Risks
disease
Complex of fungal leaf diseases (Mycosphaerella, Diplocarpon) that reduce photosynthetic area. Generally cosmetic unless severe.
Fungal disease affecting flowers and fruit, especially in humid conditions. Causes soft brown fruit rot and can destroy large portions of a crop during wet harvest weather.
Fungal disease producing firm tan-to-black lesions on fruit. Pathogen is seed- and transplant-borne and can wipe out plasticulture plantings in warm, wet weather.
Soil-borne water mold that rots roots, producing a red core visible when roots are cut lengthwise. Persistent in poorly drained soils for many years.
pest
Invasive fruit fly that lays eggs in ripening soft fruit, causing larval infestation and rapid fruit breakdown. A major threat in late-season day-neutral strawberries.
Piercing-sucking insect that feeds on developing achenes, causing "cat-facing" deformed berries with reduced market value.
Mite that feeds on leaf undersides causing stippling and reduced vigor. Populations explode in hot, dry weather, particularly in plasticulture systems.
Small weevil that severs flower buds before bloom, reducing yield potential. Damage most visible at early bloom.
weather
Open flowers are killed at 30°F; tight buds tolerate to 22°F. Late spring frosts during bloom are the single largest annual yield risk for matted row systems.
Crowns are killed below 10-15°F if unprotected. Repeated freeze-thaw cycles also cause frost heaving of newly planted transplants.
market
June-bearing harvest compresses into 3-4 weeks with berries holding only 2-5 days refrigerated. Oversupply collapses prices at peak season.
Nutritional Yield
Nutrition data pending.
Research agents will profile Strawberry against USDA FoodData Central on the next maintenance pass. Per-acre nutritional yield will appear here once the per-100g panel is recorded.
Ecosystem Services
Ecosystem service data pending.
The next research-agent rotation will document this crop's contributions to pollinator support, soil health, water quality, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.
Nearby Buyers
Data Sources
Every data point on this page is traceable to its source. Below you'll find the complete provenance trail — which sources were used, when data was last verified, and a full change history.
Primary sources: Data sourced from Cornell Cooperative Extension, Penn State Extension, USDA resources, and regional research.
Economics data year: 2025 · Region: lake_erie View economics source →
60 tracked changes across 9 data categories