Does Whatcom Co. really produce the most red raspberries in the U.S.? We checked.
Whatcom County is known for its beautiful landscapes, diversity and restaurant scene, but also for its agriculture. Last month, Lynden held its annual raspberry festival, celebrating our local farmers and berry fields that bring a sweet taste to our county.
If you’ve been in Whatcom County for a while, you’ve probably heard that it produces the most raspberries in the United States, but is this actually true? We checked for you.
Raspberry statistics and production also vary by the type of raspberry. Washington produces a variety of raspberries, such as red, purple, gold and black.
Washington state raspberry production
Washington state produces 60% of the United State’s red raspberry supply, and 95% of the nation’s processed red raspberries, according to the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
“Raspberries thrive in an environment of a cool, marine climate,” the department’s website states.
In 2023, Washington state produced 33,550 tons of raspberries, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Of the 14,800 acres of raspberries harvested in the United States in 2023, 9,500 acres were in Washington state, according to the USDA.
As raspberries grow well in marine environments, Oregon and California also produce a large amount of the berries each year. As of May 31, 2024, there were 24,437 pounds of red raspberries in cold storage in the Pacific region, compared to 27,118 pounds total in United States, according to the USDA.
The first historical evidence of raspberries in Washington was near Olympia in 1833, according to Washington Grown, an agriculture informational website.
The United States produced 70.8 tons of raspberries in 2022, following Serbia, Poland, Mexico and China with productions of up to 183.3 tons, according to the International Raspberry Organization.
Whatcom County raspberry production
In 2023, Whatcom County produced 58,614,626 pounds of red raspberries, 99.3% of the state’s crop, according to the Washington Red Raspberry Commission. The other 0.7% of raspberries were grown in Puget Sound and Southwest Washington, according to the commission.
The county also raises the largest per capita crop of red raspberries in the world, according to Whatcom Family Farmers, with approximately 100 growers harvesting over 8,500 acres in the county.
But the county’s raspberry crops have fluctuated in past years.
Whatcom County only produced 44,571,574 pounds of red raspberries in 2021, a drastic decrease compared to 63,674,250 pounds in 2020, according to the commission.
“Results of climate change like drought, wildfires and heat waves create hazardous working conditions, and in 2021, almost 40 percent of Whatcom County’s raspberry crop was destroyed in a record-breaking heat wave,” according to Washington Grown’s website.
“Whatcom County is the epicenter of raspberry growing in Washington, producing 99 percent of all raspberries grown in the state. The county’s amazing berry harvest is a testament to the rich agricultural history and the hardworking growers that make it all possible,” the website states.
Whatcom County has almost 100,000 acres of productive farmland and ranks as the sixth highest county in agricultural production, according to the Whatcom Conservation District.
Whatcom County also produces a high amount of blueberries and strawberries, according to the district.
“Washington is the largest producer of both organic and conventional blueberries with about 50% of national production occurring in Washington state. Washington is the largest producer of processed red raspberries and the fifth largest producer of strawberries.”
The Bellingham Herald reached out to the Washington Red Raspberry Commission and some local raspberry farms but received no response.
This story was originally published August 4, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
