How Plant City Became the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World

Plant City, in Hillsborough County, has bragging rights as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. Its farms produce millions of berries each year. In fact, Hillsborough County, where Plant City is located, produces about 15 percent of the nation’s strawberries and nearly all of its winter strawberries, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. But this wasn’t always the case. Today, we’ll learn how a single event more than 100 years ago changed everything. I recently chatted with Jennifer Morgan. She’s a public relations and media representative for the Florida Strawberry Festival, which takes place March 3 to 13 in Plant City. Jennifer explains how strawberries—and the festival—became such big business.Related episodes: Chef Allen Susser Brings Good Mango Mojo Florida Fruit & Vegetable Gardening 101 It’s Always Sunny at St. Petersburg’s Brick Street Farms Writer Heather McPherson on What You Don’t Know About Florida Food Behind the Scenes of the Tampa Bay Collard Green Festival