Remember as you celebrate that along with the delicious taste of summer, strawberries are also good sources of potassium, fiber, folic acid and vitamin C. They are also low in calories, with no fat and no cholesterol.

California is the nation's leading producer of strawberries. In 2014, more than 2.3 billion pounds of strawberries were harvested. That amounts to 88 percent of the country's total fresh and frozen strawberries. California’s unique coastal environment with its western ocean exposure provides moderate temperatures year round. Warm sunny days and cool foggy nights are the perfect combination for growing strawberries.

The value of the California strawberry crop is approximately $2.6 billion. According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, strawberries are the fifth most valuable fruit crop produced in California.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy some California strawberries and use #CaliforniaStrawberryDay to post on social media.

Try these delicious and healthy recipes:

Quinoa, Black Bean & Strawberry Salad

Summer Loving Strawberry Salad

Strawberry Salsa Fish Tacos with Ginger-Cilantro Vinaigrette

Strawberry Breakfast Parfait

HISTORY

Within our research, we were unable to find the creator of National California Strawberry Day.