PLANT CITY, Fla. — If you thought Florida was just known for oranges, there’s another fruit that has become the star of the show: strawberries!
With spring around the corner, the annual Florida Strawberry Festival is getting underway in Plant City. And this year’s event is ‘berry’ special after COVID canceled it last year.
So, how did Plant City become known for strawberries?
It all started in 1930 when no one really knew much about the town’s produce.
In the 20 years prior to 1930, locals tried to promote the strawberry crop. But, in 1929, the local Lions Club had an idea to share the town’s strawberries with the world – a festival.
However, during World War II, the annual festival was put on hold. Then, in 1948, American Legion Post 26 helped get the Florida Strawberry Festival back off the ground, following a six-year hiatus.
The rest is history. Every year, the Strawberry Festival has brought all kinds of strawberry-infused foods, and they can get very creative. Strawberry shortcake, strawberry pizza, even strawberry brisket tacos are a few of the yummy treats you can find during the 11-day event.
The festival will even host contests, so if you think you can run in a relay with a deep-fried Strawberry pie on a stick, this could be your time to shine.
The festival was originally intended to highlight Plant City’s agricultural products. While you’re there, be sure to check out the town.
More than 10,000 acres of strawberries are planted annually in the area. According to experts, one acre of land can produce about 30 to 40 thousand pounds of strawberries! When multiplying that by 10,000, you get roughly 350 million pounds of strawberries every single year.
Florida is the second-highest producer of strawberries behind California. And, Plant City has been recognized as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World because it grows more than three-quarters of the country’s winter strawberries. The Strawberry Festival sees about half a million people every year!
In fact, there are nearly 3,000 farms in Hillsborough County that produce fruit and vegetables, totaling more than 360 million dollars every year.
If you’re heading to Plant City, besides enjoying some berries, you may want to take some time to talk to local berry farmers. The festival’s organizers say they work very hard year-round to grow your food.