Uniting people to solve our Golden State’s toughest environmental challenges.

The sweetness of berries belies their myriad health benefits. And then there’s the visual dazzle of their jewel tones in our bowls. It’s one of nature’s most delightful truths: that something that delicious and beautiful is good for us.

Spring ushers in the harvest of these bite-size delicacies, delivering antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber to us in short order. The timing couldn’t be better; after this year’s flu season, we could all use an extra immunity boost.

Lucky for us Californians, our Golden State is the nation’s leading producer of strawberries. One of our powerhouse berry-growing regions lies just inland from Monterey Bay along the Central Coast. The bounty ripens in neat, low rows, red fruit winking between serrated leaves at drivers along Highway 1. But the stunning setting – fertile farmland close to the ocean – hides a disturbing truth.

Local aquifers are in trouble, and so are the communities and farmers who depend on them.

Sustainable Conservation unites people in the region to conserve, protect, and replenish one of our Golden State’s most vulnerable water supplies. Together, we can make sure clean drinking water runs from local taps and healthy food makes its way to our tables.

After all, even the pickiest eaters among us can be plied with strawberries. With your support, here’s what we’re doing to hold on to a bright source of nutrition while promoting safe and bountiful water for all.

Keeping Monterey Bay at Bay
In the Central Coast’s Pajaro and Salinas valleys, groundwater is the primary source of hydration for people and crops – and those underground stores have been taxed by years of over-pumping. Drought years have worsened matters.

Depleted aquifers shift the underground equilibrium, resulting in perilously empty pockets deep below our feet. On land close to the coast, saltwater can, and does, flow inland to fill the voids. Doses of the sea render groundwater unfit for drinking and irrigating. Years of imprecise fertilizer application in the farm-rich region have also compromised these precious stores.

That’s a big problem as these subterranean provisions are the chief hydrological game in town. Lacking connection to state and federal aqueduct networks, no water is coming down from the Sierra to save the day.

Our charge: partner with farmers to steward coastal aquifers, and make it easier for them to be part of the solution.

Farmers and the produce companies that contract with them can do a lot to prevent further groundwater contamination from creeping saltwater and agricultural runoff. Working closely with grower associations and conservation groups in the Pajaro and Salinas valleys, we connect farmers with techniques for more precisely irrigating and fertilizing their crops.

Think of it as a “just right” action plan for food production and the planet.

It includes training farmers to use tools like moisture sensors and remote monitoring technology. By closely calibrating what they’re putting into their fields, they can deliver water and nutrients without wasting a single drop.

When farmers see how they’re using resources, they’re eager to improve. But they can’t do it alone. That’s why we’re building a matrix of support for smart water management in tandem with cultivation of the fruits and vegetables we love to eat.

Within the supply chain, we collaborate with Driscoll’s, a major purchaser of coastal fruit whose berries you’ll recognize from your grocery store. As a leader in local water stewardship, Driscoll’s supports growers to adopt water- and fertilizer-saving methods.

As a financial incentive, we’re developing a loan rebate program with a local agricultural lender to reimburse interested farmers for trying out recommended efficiency measures. It can be scary to try new things when a farm’s bottom line is at stake, and we want to make conservation efforts easy to implement. That way, they’ll last.

Sowing Seeds of Resilience
With the continued support of our donors and partners, we can grow our program to give Central Coast communities a chance at reviving and protecting their water lifeline. People and farms in other parts of our coastal zone need help too, and we’re poised to expand our efforts down into Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties.

There’s no time to waste. California’s withering drought and torrential storms of the last few years have announced climate change loud and clear. These weather swings are the new norm, and we need to be vigilant in our water management to secure our hydrological future.

Fortunately, plentiful solutions are within reach. Together, we can invest in healthy aquifers to meet Golden State water needs for current and future generations.

This spring, when you’re shopping for school lunches and family dinners, consider those strawberries in your basket. Environmentally thoughtful farming of those nutritious treats can help California communities thrive.

With that in mind, don’t they taste even sweeter?