January 2019 - 14

LITANY OF
CHALLENGES
Weather, varieties keep
Sundance alert
Jacqueline Vazquez-Celaya is the grower/manager of Sundance Farms' berry operation in Moss Landing, California. Photo: Gary Pullano
By Gary Pullano
Managing Editor
Jacqueline Vazquez-Celaya believes
she gravitated to management of a
400-acre California strawberry growing
operation through " dumb luck. " But
her meticulous grasp of the challenges
presented in her current role doesn't
match either of those words.
Vazquez-Celaya earned a business and
marketing degree from college. It helped her
land a position with Driscoll's as director of
partner operations.
" After about a month I started to get
bored (in the office) and started going out
to the fields once a week, and then twice a
week, " she said. It soon became apparent
that farm management was her calling,
and she left Driscoll's to become director
of operations for Sundance Berry Farms in
Moss Landing, California.
The operation markets its berry products
to Costco, Walmart, Trader Joe's and other
significant retail outlets.
Sundance Berry Farms, which was
founded in 2003, operates berry farms in
three California growing districts: Oxnard,
Santa Maria and Watsonville.
Sundance merged with Andrew
Williamson (A&W) in 2005 in order to
provide year-round strawberry production.
In the partnership, Sundance focuses on the
production side of the berry business, while
A&W handles all sales and marketing.
Sundance's production covers spring,
summer and fall, with growing operations
in the California strawberry growing
districts of Coachella, Oxnard, Santa Maria
and Salinas/Watsonville. A&W is strong
during the winter and spring as it sources
strawberries from Baja California, Mexico.
Sundance's Moss Landing location,
situated adjacent to scenic Monterey Bay,
was a tour stop on the North American
Strawberry Growers Association's 2018
Summer Tour.
Having been a farm manager for
over eight years, Vazquez-Celaya has
had to expand her growing knowledge
amid extreme variations influenced by
Mother Nature.
" Two years ago we finally got out of the
drought in California, she said. " It was a
long-standing drought. I never learned to
grow in rain. No one taught me how to farm
in rain. I'd only known ways to grow during
an eight-year drought. I had to call on my
contacts from Driscoll's to come show me
how to grow in the rain, like they helped me
learn how to grow in a drought. "
Like most growers, she now prefers a
balance of crop-friendly weather offerings.
" If it rains enough and it's cold in
December, it helps with management of
the core group we employ in November, "
Vazquez-Celaya said. " My preference is a
little bit of both (rain and drier conditions).
When it rains and Mother Nature does what
it's supposed to do, the plant responds. So, I
like a little bit of rain when it's supposed to
rain, and, cold when it's supposed to be. I
like the seasons to be respected. "
Vazquez-Celaya readily shared her
knowledge of strawberry varieties and how
each performs in the production cycle.
" You learn about characteristics of
certain varieties. Monterey is basically
the workhorse. It's a really strong plant,
very high yielding. You'll get a peak
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January 2019

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