Growing Roots in Siskiyou

Growing Roots in Siskiyou...

If you’ve ever purchased strawberries at your local grocer, you may not realize it but there is a high probability that the genetics of that strawberry can be traced back to Siskiyou County—to the Butte Valley to be specific.

Plant Sciences, with headquarters in Macdoel, California, is an industry leader in research and production of strawberry genetics. Their high elevation nursery in Macdoel is one of several nurseries that they cultivate throughout the state.

“We grow in Butte Valley primarily because of the weather range—the climate is perfect for this high elevation nursery. We are one of eight propagation nurseries located in the Butte Valley,” said Senior Plant Manager, Eric Levesque.

The ultimate goal of Plant Sciences' strawberry breeding department is to develop high quality, flavorful fruit with increased shelf life, improved yields and fruit size, and reduced disease and pest susceptibility; all this to meet consumer demands and bring success to those that we collaborate with and serve (Source: plantsciences.com).

Plant Sciences also incorporates technology and innovation into the work that they do. For example, they have created automated processes for processing the plants. They create 6 to 8 million plants in one day, so they are finding innovative ways to streamline their processes through technology.

For more information about how you can take advantage of Siskiyou's ideal climate, call us at (530) 842-1638.