Current and Prospective Fruit Producers Invited to Attend
COLUMBIA, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Extension Center for Profitable Agriculture and the Tennessee Fruit and Vegetable Association are teaming up to host educational workshops for farmers interested in growing specialty fruit crops across the state. The workshops will be offered in each region of the state from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time at the following locations:
- March 2 at the Northeast Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Greeneville
- March 6 at the Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center in Spring Hill
- March 9 at the Bolivar Municipal Center and Falcon Ridge Farm
While the sessions will focus on blueberries, elderberries and persimmons, other specialty fruit crops will also be addressed. David Lockwood, UT Extension commercial fruit specialist, Natalie Bumgarner, UT Extension residential and consumer horticulture specialist, and the Extension Fruit and Vegetable workgroup will address production practices, which includes a live pruning and plant management demonstration. Rachel Painter, marketing specialist in the Center for Profitable Agriculture, will present marketing considerations for commercial fruit producers and blueberry budgeting tools developed by Margarita Velandia, professor and interim head of the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.
There is no cost to attend the workshop, but registration is required a minimum of one week in advance of the training. Register at Tiny.utk.edu/fruit2023.
This workshop is provided as part of a specialty crop project funded in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. For additional information about the workshop, contact Rachel Painter at rpainter@utk.edu.
Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.