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Farming plays a significant role in local coastal economies, and strawberries are the most valuable crop in Santa Cruz County. Because of the mild summer climate, strawberries can be harvested for many months. These photos present some of the key stages of strawberry cultivation.
The first stage in conventional strawberry cultivation is fumigation with gases that kill everything that lives in the soil. Plastic tarps are spread over the field to retain the gases in the soil for several days. This is done during the autumn. Organic farmers are developing less toxic methods for preparing the soil. |
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