Organic strawberries a hard sell at times

Over the next several weeks, 600 California farmers will plant 31,000 acres of strawberries. That includes 12,000 acres in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties alone.

Just 1,200 to 1,500 acres will be grown without chemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Although that's not an insignificant amount, it is fewer than expected as demand for organic produce grows steadily and scientists probe ever further into the environmental and health benefits of organic agriculture.