Selso Garcia’s family has been in the strawberry growing business for decades.
Last year, his family-owned farm, S&G Farm, won the Grand Champion title at the Poteet Strawberry Festival Auction, so Garcia knows what it takes to grow a delicious berry.
“We work as much as we can, seven days a week once the strawberry season and the harvest starts,” said Garcia. “The sunshine really helps. The more sun these berries get, the sweeter they become.”
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Garcia and other local farmers could soon have more time to work under the sun if the federal government makes daylight saving time permanent across the U.S.
The Senate voted unanimously this week to pass the measure known as the Sunshine Protection Act. It still needs to be approved by the House of Representatives and signed by President Joe Biden before becoming law.
But a possible change would be especially important for local strawberry farmers. Their planting season runs through the colder months when the sun sets earlier in the day.
“There have been days that we have been out here with a flashlight because that’s what needs to be done,” said Garcia.
In Pleasanton, growing strawberries is a way of life for many of these farmers. Garcia said making daylight saving time permanent can be a difference maker in taste of their crops.
“If we leave it here for another day, and the sunshine hits it all day long, they will be they much sweeter tomorrow morning,” said Garcia. “Added on through the whole week, that extra hour everyday, you get better production.”