Raspberries, Blackberries and Strawberries, Oh My! May is National Strawberry Month!
By Cassie Patton
Some of us may have memories of either sneaking strawberries or our parents catching us indulging in the exceptionally tasty fruit, when we were supposed to just be picking them. Although, from a child’s perspective, we were picking right into our mouth… of course. An interesting fact about strawberries I came upon: strawberries are technically not considered a berry. Now, before the reader flakes out on the rest of this article, coming to the conclusion their whole life’s been a lie, bear with me, as we explore a few historical and scientific facts about this famous shortcake topping.
Around the 20th century, the strawberry’s presence in Washington state grew to prominence when a group of Finnish immigrants began strawberry farming along the Columbia River. The farming took place in a small community by the name of Cloverdale, just right outside of Kalama, Wash. The Finnish would go down in history as having the largest strawberry production in Washington state. In the 1920s, the Cloverdale Cooperative Berry Association was established in hopes of creating a more financially secure future. This also helped to create a 3,000-barrel-a-year strawberry processing plant alongside a general store run as a co-op.
The annual strawberry picking season was a great deal of work, which required many hands to accomplish. Finnish people would come in barges from outer areas to help the local Finnish. The Finnish were chosen over native English speakers during the early days of selling and production, as a great handful of Cloverdale residents did not speak English, and in some cases, certain Finnish people simply chose not to speak English. A community celebration with bands, dances, costumes, streamers, and feasts accompanied, with human-sized strawberry shortcakes to mark the end of the strawberry season. As years went on, and generations progressively expanded, events such as the Strawberry Festival grew and needed more space, eventually making its way to the center of Kalama.
Tragically, around 1951, an infectious plant disease came through the town of Cloverdale and wiped out the strawberry crops, changing the composition of the environment. While this was an end of an era for an immigrant community, commercial berry farming would go on to expand throughout the Cascades and eastern Washington. While the Cloverdale strawberry crops were taken out by a rigorous infection, the drier, hotter climate in eastern Washington kept the disease from spreading so aggressively in the region.
Now, about strawberries not actually being berries… In order for a fruit to be classified as a berry, it must come from a flower with one ovary. The blueberry, for example, is a true berry by this definition, while the strawberry comes from a flower with multiple ovaries. Also, instead of the seeds being on the inside, as they are for berries, the seeds are on the outside and the red flesh is a swollen vessel, which gives the shape and features of what is known to be the strawberry.
Now that readers know that May is the month of strawberries, and the weather is warming up, it’s a good time to enjoy all things strawberries.
Cassie Patton, born and raised in Washington state, says she has always enjoyed writing about any topic possible. When not actively writing, she can be found baking up a sweet treat or watching football.
