The Pineapple and the Strawberry

I went for a short walk and a long walk with the camera and didn't much care for anything I took today. So, today I will blip the pineapple I got at the store and our first harvested strawberry, not counting the one Bill ate last week.

THE PINEAPPLE (a bromeliad)

There is a ton of stuff about pineapples. When I first went to Hawaii there were pineapples all over the place. Now....not so much. Traditional Hawaiian agriculture is giving way to housing developments. The island of Lanai was a major pineapple growing area but I'm not sure what will happen since Larry Ellison bought the island. My maiden name was Ellison. So, WHY couldn't he be related to me? Hmmm, maybe he is. Helllooo, Cousin Larry!


The plant is indigenous to South America and is said to originate from the area between Southern Brazil and Paraguay; however, it is important to note that little is known about the origin of the domesticated pineapple (Pickersgill, 1976). M.S. Bertoni (1919) considered the Paraná-Paraguay River drainages to be the place of origin of A. comosus. The natives of southern Brazil and Paraguay spread the pineapple throughout South America, and it eventually reached the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico, where it was cultivated by the Mayas and the Aztecs. Columbus encountered the pineapple in 1493 on the Leeward island of Guadeloupe. He called it piña de Indes, meaning "pine of the Indians," and brought it back with him to Europe thus making the pineapple the first bromeliad to leave the New World.[17] The Spanish introduced it into the Philippines, Hawaii (introduced in the early 19th century, first commercial plantation 1886), Zimbabwe and Guam. Many say the fruit was first introduced in Hawaii when a Spanish ship brought them there in the 1500s. The fruit was cultivated successfully in European hothouses, and pineapple pits, beginning in 1720.

John Kidwell is credited with the introduction of the pineapple industry in Hawaii. Large-scale pineapple cultivation by U.S. companies began in the early 1900s on Hawaii. Among the most famous and influential pineapple industrialists was James Dole who moved to Hawaii in 1899 and started a pineapple plantation in 1900. The companies Dole and Del Monte began growing pineapple on the island of Oahu in 1901 and 1917, respectively. Dole's pineapple company began with the acquisition of 60 acres (24 ha) of land in 1901, and, as previously mentioned, has grown into a major company today. Maui Pineapple Company began pineapple cultivation on the island of Maui in 1909. In 2006, Del Monte announced its withdrawal from pineapple cultivation in Hawaii, leaving only Dole and Maui Pineapple Company in Hawaii as the USA's largest growers of pineapples. Maui Pineapple Company markets its Maui Gold brand of pineapple and Dole markets its Hawaii Gold brand of pineapple.

THE STRAWBERRY ( a yummy fruit)

There is a ton of stuff about strawberries. When I first moved to Portland there were strawberry fields all over the place. Now, not so much. Traditional agricultural lands that were close to the city (the city grew and pushed them out further) have given way to housing developments. Hmmmm, I detect a trend.

This little bit I picked out of the Internet article is about the Oregon berries that were grown in the Willamette Valley.

By the 1970's California had a large and growing strawberry industry. Although Oregon berries were far superior in taste and texture and unrivaled in qualities for canning and freezing, [/i]**the California farmers were able to produce between 20 and 30 tons an acre compared to the 5 tons an acre grown by Oregon farmers. This began to drastically affect the market for Oregon berries.

Additional varieties grown and processed during the 1950 - 1980 period were Molar, Cascade, Columbia, Shokusan, Benton, and Rainer.

Today, approximately 70% of Oregon's processing berries are of the Totem, Tillamook or Hood varieties. The Oregon strawberry industry with its 120 year history has had a production that has ranged from over 100 million pounds (1964, 1988) to less than 20 million pounds. Currently Oregon ranks third in the nation in strawberry production, but it is a distant third to Florida and California. Compared to California's 1.9 billion pounds, Oregon is a niche market.

Due to the colder Oregon climate the vast majority of berries are June bearing varieties. Additionally, climate conditions in Oregon dictate a three-week harvest period. Oregon's berries are superior in quality but costly to grow and harvest requiring a greater price in the market to remain viable. In California, most of the berries are day neutral varieties, providing longer harvest periods. Production per acre is considerably higher and cost of production is considerably less.

Currently, some of Oregon's strawberry growers are looking toward the Far East to expand their market. Japanese consumption of Oregon strawberries has been increasing.. Other Oregon growers are looking at an expansion of the fresh market as the future for Oregon strawberries. Growers in Oregon are exploring the options to keep premium grade Oregon strawberries viable into the future.

* The California berries show up here first and they are huge berries, but everyone is waiting for our local berries to appear in June. They are far superior in taste and strawberry goodness. We don't get the berries from Florida here, so I cannot comment on them.

Hope all is well. Catch ya later... Have a berry nice day.