Best Local Crop
Strawberries
Juggling even three pieces of fruit is no easy feat. Monterey County’s strawberry farmers are juggling a lot more than that – they are planting, nurturing, harvesting and shipping millions of pieces of fruit every year, while also keeping their eye on factors like weather, pests, the perfect moment to pick a strawberry (not too soft just yet, but not too underripe) and more. It’s the juggling act that wows in the agricultural circus, to the tune of $1 billion in gross sales in 2025, making it the county’s highest-value crop yet again. Besides flavor, strawberries are packed with vitamin C, potassium, fiber and antioxidants – but nutritional science can’t explain why biting into one is guaranteed to make you happier.