PNW Strawberry Task Force: Looking at the Future of Regional Strawberry Research
Growers from Washington and Oregon came together around research priorities and the future of strawberry breeding in the Pacific Northwest
Beginning in late 2022, eight strawberry growers from Washington and Oregon came together to discuss current industry needs and ideas for supporting the future of Pacific Northwest strawberry production.
Representing large and small farms serving both fresh and processing markets, the growers met through a task force supported by a grant from the Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research.
Their conversations centered on a growing concern: how to maintain the research, breeding programs and industry coordination needed to support strawberries across the region.
A changing research landscape
The task force formed at a time when the regional strawberry industry was facing significant questions about the future of research support.
In Washington, the number of strawberry research projects had declined following the disbanding of the Washington Strawberry Commission in 2017. Without a strong grower-led organization communicating research needs and advocating for funding, researchers had less direction around industry priorities.
The task force identified several areas of particular importance:
- Strawberry breeding research
- The National Clean Plant Network
- Pesticide registrations
- Buyer education around the quality and value of Northwest strawberries
- A stronger grower voice around research priorities and funding
The future of regional strawberry breeding became a central part of those conversations.
Bringing more growers into the conversation
The task force recognized that decisions about the future of strawberry research needed input beyond the eight growers participating in the meetings.
A survey was circulated to Washington strawberry growers to gather broader feedback and explore possible approaches.
Respondents represented more than half of Washington’s strawberry acreage.
The results reinforced the importance growers placed on maintaining breeding research. Growers indicated support for exploring a per-plant assessment to help fund that work, with slightly greater support for a $0.02-per-plant assessment than a lower fee because of concerns that a smaller assessment might not generate enough funding to be effective.
Respondents also wanted oversight of how assessed funds would be used.
There was less agreement about the organizational structure behind that work. Growers were divided over whether restarting the Washington Strawberry Commission should be explored, leading the task force to consider different approaches for grower representation, funding and collective action.
Looking at strawberry breeding regionally
The discussions extended beyond Washington.
At the time of the project, Washington State University’s strawberry breeding program was approximately one-third the size it had been when the Washington Strawberry Commission was operating.
In Oregon, the Oregon Strawberry Commission remained active, while strawberry breeding capacity through the USDA-ARS program in Corvallis was limited.
Rather than viewing those challenges independently, the task force explored what a more coordinated Washington–Oregon approach could look like.
One project outcome was the development of a collaborative regional breeding program outline intended to identify where common breeding tasks, priorities and objectives could potentially be streamlined around shared Pacific Northwest needs.
The Oregon Strawberry Commission was also expected to consider the task force findings as it evaluated its own production outlook and potential approaches to future assessments.
Building a clearer picture of what comes next
The project also called for a strawberry production economic analysis to provide additional context around the industry’s position.
Together, the economic analysis, regional breeding outline and grower input were intended to give growers, nurseries and researchers a clearer foundation for continued discussion about the future of strawberries in the Pacific Northwest.
The task force did not produce a single answer for how the industry should organize or fund that work.
It did establish something important: growers across different farms, markets and states were able to identify shared research priorities and begin exploring what maintaining regional strawberry research could require.
That conversation created a foundation for the industry to continue considering how breeding, research funding and grower representation can support a viable Pacific Northwest strawberry industry.