Looking at the Future of Pacific Northwest Strawberry Production
Bringing economics, breeding and grower perspectives together around the future of the regional strawberry industry
Pacific Northwest strawberry growers face interconnected questions around production costs, markets, cultivar development and the research infrastructure needed to support the industry.
Completed from 2022–2024, this project brought several of those questions together rather than examining them independently. Researchers focused on four areas: current economic conditions for strawberry producers, the regional economic impact of strawberry production, the potential for a two-state breeding program and ways growers could strengthen their voice around research priorities.
The project developed enterprise budgets for fresh and processed strawberry production in Washington and Oregon, including production costs, earnings estimates, break-even analysis and sensitivity analysis. Regional economic estimates were also developed to better understand the direct, indirect and household-spending effects connected to strawberry demand.
Breeding was another part of the picture.
Grower feedback and economic analysis helped inform an operational budget and structural outline for a proposed regional breeding program connecting work in Oregon and Washington around shared Pacific Northwest needs.
The project also included the PNW Strawberry Task Force, where growers explored research priorities, representation and possible approaches for strengthening grower advocacy.
Together, these pieces created a broader foundation for conversations about what a viable regional strawberry industry may require—from production economics and market decisions to breeding, research and grower coordination.