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Pudong's strawberry fields forever
January 31, 2011, Monday
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Print Edition
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IN the dead of winter, perfect luscious strawberries are ready to be picked at Caolu Town where a strawberry festival is underway. Chen Ye says you won't find anything this good in a supermarket.
In the dead of winter, delicious "summertime" strawberries in the Pudong New Area are ripe and perfect for Spring Festival - and a strawberry festival is already underway.
These are not costly and sometimes not-so-tasty supermarket strawberries - these are organic, fresh and waiting to be picked in sprawling greenhouses in Caolu Town.
They are ideal for Spring Festival gifts and everyone is welcome to pick the succulent berries over the holiday. Just call in advance.
"It's common sense that strawberries are available in summertime, but here in Caolu Town they are available in winter and Spring Festival," says Yue Aijun, general manager of Caolu Agriculture Investment Co in the Pudong New Area.
The Caolu Modern Agriculture Garden south of Heqing Town and near the East China Sea covers 9.6 square kilometers.
There are more than 600 strawberry varieties and the Caolu species are known as milk strawberries. They are medium size, extremely delicious with a deep red color, intense strawberry flavor and fragrance and lots of juice. Many super-large strawberries are not as tasty.
These milk strawberry seeds are imported from Japan.
Since strawberries are among the world's most popular fruit, the Caolu company decided to make them available year round.
The usual strawberry season is from April through July, but in Caolu Town the seeds are sown in August and covered with black sheeting that protects them from pests.
The farm has 80 greenhouses covering more than 50 hectares. There are more than 200,000 plants with numerous berries.
Visitors can also pack their own Zhaolu brand strawberries as gifts for friends and relatives, or they can buy gift packs.
A box of 10-15 berries costs 30 yuan (US$4.55).
It is becoming popular for people in Pudong to pick and pack strawberries as Spring Festival gifts and picking strawberries is a popular family outing.
Nutritious
Strawberries are very nutritious and pack more nutrient punch per weight than many other fruits, including citrus fruits. Like other berries, they are loaded with antioxidants known as phenols, notably anthocyanin 2, which imparts the deep red color.
Strawberries' unique phenol content makes them a heart-protective, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory fruit.
"I especially like eating Caolu strawberries because they give me a lot of vitamins," says Deng Yue, member of the Party Committee of Caolu Town. "Planting strawberries has improved the livelihood of local town residents and given work opportunities to many unemployed farmers."
When visitors pick strawberries, locals show them the best way to select and pick - the biggest strawberries are always the tastiest, as many people think.
The Caolu farm also offers vegetables, such as baby tomatoes and cucumbers.
"We are proud that Zhaolu brand was selected to be one of the suppliers of vegetables for China's Antarctic Exploration Team," says general manager Yue.
All fruits and vegetables at the farm are grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Caolu Agriculture Investment Co
Address: 4655 Jinxiu Rd E., Pudong
Price: 30 yuan/box of 10-15
To book a strawberry trip, call 5068-8185
In the dead of winter, delicious "summertime" strawberries in the Pudong New Area are ripe and perfect for Spring Festival - and a strawberry festival is already underway.
These are not costly and sometimes not-so-tasty supermarket strawberries - these are organic, fresh and waiting to be picked in sprawling greenhouses in Caolu Town.
They are ideal for Spring Festival gifts and everyone is welcome to pick the succulent berries over the holiday. Just call in advance.
"It's common sense that strawberries are available in summertime, but here in Caolu Town they are available in winter and Spring Festival," says Yue Aijun, general manager of Caolu Agriculture Investment Co in the Pudong New Area.
The Caolu Modern Agriculture Garden south of Heqing Town and near the East China Sea covers 9.6 square kilometers.
There are more than 600 strawberry varieties and the Caolu species are known as milk strawberries. They are medium size, extremely delicious with a deep red color, intense strawberry flavor and fragrance and lots of juice. Many super-large strawberries are not as tasty.
These milk strawberry seeds are imported from Japan.
Since strawberries are among the world's most popular fruit, the Caolu company decided to make them available year round.
The usual strawberry season is from April through July, but in Caolu Town the seeds are sown in August and covered with black sheeting that protects them from pests.
The farm has 80 greenhouses covering more than 50 hectares. There are more than 200,000 plants with numerous berries.
Visitors can also pack their own Zhaolu brand strawberries as gifts for friends and relatives, or they can buy gift packs.
A box of 10-15 berries costs 30 yuan (US$4.55).
It is becoming popular for people in Pudong to pick and pack strawberries as Spring Festival gifts and picking strawberries is a popular family outing.
Nutritious
Strawberries are very nutritious and pack more nutrient punch per weight than many other fruits, including citrus fruits. Like other berries, they are loaded with antioxidants known as phenols, notably anthocyanin 2, which imparts the deep red color.
Strawberries' unique phenol content makes them a heart-protective, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory fruit.
"I especially like eating Caolu strawberries because they give me a lot of vitamins," says Deng Yue, member of the Party Committee of Caolu Town. "Planting strawberries has improved the livelihood of local town residents and given work opportunities to many unemployed farmers."
When visitors pick strawberries, locals show them the best way to select and pick - the biggest strawberries are always the tastiest, as many people think.
The Caolu farm also offers vegetables, such as baby tomatoes and cucumbers.
"We are proud that Zhaolu brand was selected to be one of the suppliers of vegetables for China's Antarctic Exploration Team," says general manager Yue.
All fruits and vegetables at the farm are grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Caolu Agriculture Investment Co
Address: 4655 Jinxiu Rd E., Pudong
Price: 30 yuan/box of 10-15
To book a strawberry trip, call 5068-8185
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