Perishable SKU   Food Safety GAP   Variety   IPM   

precision agricultural practice • cool temps during fruit ripening • resulting in longer shelf life with flavor

Pacific Ocean's Monterey Bay on Sunset State Beach, Watsonville California 95076

  •  The sole producer, Sweet Darling's Larse Farms Inc., has direct responsibility for worker safety, food safety, good agricultural practice and post-harvest handling
  •  Larse Farms Sweet Darling is dedicated to producing delicious tasting superior quality strawberries that are produced according to global food safety standards, through expert execution of agricultural practice, post-harvest handling and superior plant breeding
  •  Sweet Darling strawberry production sites are located about five miles west of the town of Watsonville.
  •  Our hillside locations, overlooking the cold Pacific Ocean on the coastal bluffs adjacent to Sunset, Manresa and Zmudowski State Beaches.
  • Harvest of strawberries proceeds without interruption for 28 weeks. The cost of picking is variable over weeks and is least costly during the six weeks of June and early July.
  • Normal periodicity of harvest is pick two times per week with field divided into three segments, for example, segment (1) Mon/Thu; segment (2) Tue/Fri; segment (3) Wed/Sat; closed Sunday.
  • A special pick can be arranged by agreement, therefore the periodicity of harvest is advanced to 3 picks per week, the entire field thereby being picked every other day save day of rest, Sunday. Price of special pick export product is approximately two times the price of Normal contract production.

  • Close proximity to the cold ocean temperature gradient affords slower fruit ripening at cooler temperatures
  •  The cool ripening temperatures extend the shelf life of our strawberry by days. Typically, many fields are exposed to at least an additional full hour of sunlight more than the valley due to the situation of our western facing slopes that receive the last rays of the setting sun. All of these factors contribute to the production of ultra-premium fruit with complex flavor and superb color that are characteristics of the Sweet Darling strawberry.

    The company was established with the mission of producing a superior tasting longer lasting strawberry true to the meaning of our trademark. Our shipping season runs April to November.

    As the sole producer, Sweet Darling's Larse Farms Inc. has absolute responsibility and control for food safety, good agricultural practice and post-harvest handling  and this coherent horticultural practice affords continuity of product quality on the retail display from month to month.

    The Sweet Darling cooler is located in the artichoke capital of the world, cool coastal Castroville California, (where in 1948 Marilyn Monroe was the Miss California Artichoke Queen) The cool receiving dock temperatures in Castroville, state of art cooling equipment, direct control of post-harvest process also contribute to the extended shelf life of our fruit. For various reasons, we enjoy a reputation for getting customer line trucks loaded and out very fast, gaining precious hours for delivery at customer's DC.

    The Sweet Darling strawberry has gained recognition among a few discreet buyers as a very special strawberry. The Sweet Darling team steadily fullfills our customer's orders. Very little shrink, more repeat sales and higher gross profits.