March 7 Field Day to help strawberry growers keep pace with rising demands
By Emily Thompson
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Feb. 17, 2017
Fast Facts:
- Division of Agriculture hosts March 7 Spring Strawberry Field Day at Hope
- To register, visit http://bit.ly/2kTH8o4
- Consumer demands for strawberries rises
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HOPE, Ark. – Demand for strawberries in the U.S. has risen and fruit experts with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture want to help growers keep up.
In addition to strawberry production research projects underway to help Arkansas strawberry producers, the Division of Agriculture will host a Spring Strawberry Field Day on March 7 to showcase the projects and teach producers the latest commercial production recommendations.
The event will also be beneficial to prospective strawberry farmers because it will teach them the basics of commercial strawberry production.
“We want to make sure that people that want to go into commercial strawberry production have the latest recommendations and research to be successful,” said Amanda McWhirt, Extension horticulture specialist.
Attendees will also hear guest speaker Russ Wallace, professor and Extension vegetable specialist at Texas A&M, talk about a joint project between Texas and Arkansas Extension tackling biopesticides and strawberries.
The event will be held at the Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope, Arkansas. Registration is $15 per person and includes a BBQ lunch courtesy of Irrigation-Mart and snacks. To register, visit https://forms.uada.edu/registrations/hort/strawberry.asp. The deadline to register is March 3.
For more information contact Amanda McWhirt at 501-671-2229 or Jackie Lee at 501-671-2191.
According to the Nielsen Perishables Group, berries of all sorts have pushed their way to the top of the consumer preference charts in 2013, shouldering aside both bananas and apples.(See: http://fortune.com/2014/11/04/best-selling-fruit-us/)
In Arkansas, local strawberries are eagerly awaited for harvest around Mother’s Day and are a stalwart for agritourism venues that offer roadside stands or U-Picks.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact the horticulture office, 501-671-2237, as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
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Media Contact: Mary Hightower
Dir. of Communication Services
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2126
mhightower@uada.edu
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