Our Story
Shinta Kawahara Strawberry Farm in 1920.
Bachan Shinta started her strawberry farm in the Santa Clara Valley
in the 1920s, later rebuilding it after the Japanese-American internment.
Pronounced BAA-chan, an endearment for grandmother in Japanese.
Left to right: Farmer Rod, Farmer Gwen, Farmer Kuni, and Farmer Bea.
As she considered retirement in 1960, her son, Kuni Shinta, and his wife, Bea Kawahara, helped grow the business.
They founded the Shinta Kawahara Company in 1965, and in 1973, moved their strawberry farm to Watsonville, where agricultural land was more readily available.
Farmer Rod and his daughter Joanna enjoying a day on the farm.
Left to right: Joanna, Farmer Gwen, and Farmer Rod.
Today, Kuni and Bea’s daughter, Gwen and her husband, Rod Koda, operate the business as small independent farmers, working every day to grow and deliver the most delicious, highest quality strawberries possible!
