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- Food & Beverage
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- United States
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- Every February
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Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month lights up the calendar throughout February, celebrating the peak harvest of the state’s iconic fruit. This month-long tribute features the renowned Florida Strawberry Festival and highlights the unique growing season. Dive into fresh recipes, support local growers, and discover the sweet joy of Florida’s strawberries.
Want to sponsor Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month? Learn how
History of Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month
The strawberry fruit is well known worldwide for its sweetness, color, and juiciness. The fruit we eat today is actually a hybrid species and its first breeding was made in the 1750s in France. However, strawberries existed before our time and have been used for medicinal purposes since the 1300s. All of the delicious desserts we all love only started to be made when Thomas Wolsey, a court member of King Henry VIII, introduced the combination of cream and strawberries, which is used to this day for preparing a strawberry cake, pie, and even mousse.
Curiously, even though they are called berries, strawberries aren’t really berries, if speaking from a botanical standpoint, because their seeds are on the outside of the fruit, not the inside. The cultivation of strawberries is present worldwide and China is responsible for nearly 40% of the entire production. Anyone with enough space for a garden can plant, cultivate, and harvest strawberries in their own home if they wish to do so.
The weather in Florida is known to be warmer than in the rest of the United States, which allows for farmers across the state to grow strawberries even during the Winter when its target seasons are usually Spring and Summer. That’s why since 1930 the state has celebrated the Florida Strawberry Festival and has instituted February as Florida’s Strawberry Month.
Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month timeline
In Italy, there’s evidence that strawberries grew wild centuries ago!
Strawberries are planted and harvested by the French for medicinal use.
The first Florida Strawberry Festival is celebrated.
The Florida Strawberry Growers Association is founded.
Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month FAQs
When is Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month?
In 2027, Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month again takes place for the entire month of February. This annual observance highlights Florida’s unique contribution to the national strawberry supply.
How many strawberries does Florida produce?
On average, Florida’s strawberry industry contributes over $300 million to the state’s economy each year. The harvest season, peaking in February, is crucial for both local consumption and national distribution.
What is the Florida Strawberry Festival?
Drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, the Florida Strawberry Festival is a highlight of Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month. It offers a unique blend of entertainment and agricultural education, showcasing the best of Florida’s berries.
What makes Florida strawberries special?
The specific varieties grown in Florida are bred for their sweetness, vibrant color, and firm texture, making them ideal for fresh eating and a favorite among consumers. Their early availability is a key differentiator.
Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month Activities
Eat some strawberries
Get some strawberries from your local market, grocery store, or even from your garden and eat them! If you want to, you can even bake a strawberry cake, pie, or bread. Be creative!
Harvest some strawberries
There are places you can pay a certain fee to be able to harvest some strawberries for yourself. This is a fun activity for the whole family!
Make a strawberry smoothie
Get some strawberries and freeze them for a day or two. Once they’re frozen, put them in a blender with a bit of milk and other flavorings of your choice to make a delicious strawberry smoothie!
5 Awesome Facts About Strawberries
They’ve got so many seeds
Did you know an average strawberry carries around 200 seeds?
The plant is a warrior
Strawberry plants can remain planted and still produce strawberries for five years!
They open the doors for spring
The first fruit you’ll see ripe in spring is the strawberry!
There are many of them
Over 100 species of strawberries are known to us.
They are healthy
Did you know strawberries have more vitamin C than oranges and don’t contain cholesterol?
Why We Love Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month
We get to eat lots of strawberries
The entire month reserved for celebrating strawberries means we get to eat lots of them all through the event! We love this!
It’s all about gardening
If you have some space in your home, you can start your gardening hobby by planting strawberry seeds and harvesting them this month! Not only is this fun, but it’s good for your mental health!
It celebrates Florida
Not only are we celebrating the harvesting of Florida strawberries, but we’re also celebrating Florida itself and its unique weather! What’s not to love?
Fabulous Florida Strawberry Month dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | February 1 | Monday |
| 2028 | February 1 | Tuesday |
| 2029 | February 1 | Thursday |
| 2030 | February 1 | Friday |
| 2031 | February 1 | Saturday |
