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In Florida, Strawberry Fields Are Not Forever

Workers place the berries directly into the plastic clamshell packages that shoppers will find in stores. Dan Charles/NPR hide caption

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Dan Charles/NPR

The Salt

In Florida, Strawberry Fields Are Not Forever

March is a pivotal time in the world of strawberries. Production shifts westward, to California. In Florida, thousands of men and women who pick strawberries are moving on to other work.

In Florida, Strawberry Fields Are Not Forever

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California's Strawberry Feud Ends, But Who Will Breed New Berries?

Albion strawberries, a variety created at UC Davis, grow on the Chino family farm in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., on March 7, 2013. Mike Blake/Reuters/Corbis hide caption

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Mike Blake/Reuters/Corbis

The Salt

California's Strawberry Feud Ends, But Who Will Breed New Berries?

Strawberry farmers have dropped a lawsuit against the University of California, Davis, and the university has hired a new strawberry breeder. But the future of academic berry breeding is uncertain.

Simple Summer Jam Session Calls For Strawberries And Sunshine

A few jars of strawberry jam bask in the light of what made them: the summer sun. Christian Grantham/Flickr hide caption

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Christian Grantham/Flickr

The Salt

Simple Summer Jam Session Calls For Strawberries And Sunshine

When strawberries are in season, the Food Network's Amy Thielen's thinks of jam — sun jam. She shares her grandmother's method for making preserves with little more than sugar and the summer sun.

Simple Summer Jam Session Calls For Strawberries And Sunshine

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Breeding Battle Threatens Key Source Of California Strawberries

A flat of Albion strawberries at the Bob Jones Ranch fruit stand near Oxnard, Calif. Zumapress/Corbis hide caption

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Zumapress/Corbis

The Salt

Breeding Battle Threatens Key Source Of California Strawberries

The University of California, Davis is the source of most commercial strawberries. Now, the university's strawberry breeders are going into business for themselves, and farmers are worried.

Breeding Battle Threatens Key Source Of California Strawberries

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Women With A Berry-Snacking Habit May Have Healthier Hearts

Regular consumption of blueberries, such as these found at Butler's Orchard in Maryland, may prevent heart attacks in middle-aged women. Maggie Starbard/NPR hide caption

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Maggie Starbard/NPR

The Salt

Women With A Berry-Snacking Habit May Have Healthier Hearts

Love berries? It seems a habit of eating them three times a week may stave off heart attacks, at least in middle-aged women, according to a new study. That's because of compounds called anthocyanins found in these brightly colored gems.

Women With A Berry-Snacking Habit May Have Healthier Hearts

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The Secret Life Of California's World-Class Strawberries
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The Salt

The Secret Life Of California's World-Class Strawberries

We may romanticize that strawberries are grown down the road, but most of them come from California. And a complex web of plant cloning practices, relocation and fumigation has cropped up to keep it that way. Although scientists are exploring new options, like soil-free growing.

The Secret Life Of California's World-Class Strawberries

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