Rain means bad news for Central Coast strawberry fields

The Central Coast is welcoming any rain it can get, but this week’s cloudy skies stirred up some trouble for strawberries.

When strawberry farmers needed the rain, they got dry skies, and when they didn’t need it, it poured.

“Unfortunately with rain, the water evaporates and cooks the strawberries underneath, so they become not marketable,” Javier Zamora of JSM Organics said.

Anything that was red and ready for harvest was soaked in a warm bath. Zamora said the combo ruined about 80 boxes of strawberries.

“It impacts our wallets a lot,” Zamora said.

Eighty boxes retail for about $1,500 to $2,000, which is a big hit for a small organic farm.

“People want to see the beautiful strawberry, not understanding Mother Nature has to do whatever Mother Nature does and any time it wants,” Zamora said.

Zamora said California needs the water, but he also needs revenue.

“It’s just a loss we have to take,” Zamora said.

Zamora said he’ll use the strawberries he can’t sell to make jam for family, friends and for a little extra cash.

“It’s really good and tasty,” Zamora said.

Growers said not just strawberries, but all berries that were ready for harvest, were impacted by this week’s rain.