Arkansas Blackberry Growers Association to hold winter members meeting Feb. 5 in Little Rock
State's blackberry growers plan full day of education
Jan. 13, 2022
By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast facts
- Meeting for association members set for Feb. 5
- Find registration information
(430 words)
(Newsrooms: With file art of blackberries https://flic.kr/p/2jqPwV8 )
LITTLE ROCK — Managing labor, marketing and insects are among the topics on the agenda Feb. 5 for the third annual winter meeting of the Arkansas Blackberry Growers Association.
Blackberry production has found increased interest in Arkansas. Blackberry sales in the U.S. increased nearly 18 percent in 2020, the fifth straight year of increases, according to the Produce Market Guide. The National Agricultural Statistics Service said blackberry production in the U.S. was valued at $31.1 million in 2017.
“This meeting attracts growers and industry representatives from around the southeastern region and is a great opportunity to share the research being conducted by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and highlights the expanding Arkansas blackberry industry,” said Amanda McWhirt, extension specialist-horticulture crops for the Division of Agriculture. “With growers joining from Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and other states, it is a great opportunity for networking and hearing what new innovations are working for other growers in the region.”
The meeting will be held in person at the Cooperative Extension Service state headquarters at 2301 S. University Ave. in Little Rock. The all-day meeting opens at 8:30 a.m. In addition to a full slate of educational programs, there will be a trade show, poster presentations and the association’s annual business meeting.
Association membership is required to attend. Membership fees are $50 per farm and covers all members of the farm. Membership fees of $50 per farm plus a $15 per person lunch fee will be collected at the meeting or can be mailed in advance. Registration in advance is encouraged to secure a lunch ticket.
The agenda:
- 8:30 a.m. — Insect and disease issues in Arkansas-grown blackberries. Aaron Cato, integrated pest management specialist, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
- 9:30 a.m. — Irrigation management, TriEst Ag Group.
- 10 a.m. — Blackberry trellising and fertility, McWhirt.
- 10:45 a.m. — Grower’s perspective, Matt Wilson, Ritter Farms, Judsonia, Arkansas.
- 11:15 a.m. — Value-added foods project: Opportunities for fruit growers, Amanda Perez, associate professor and extension specialist-food systems and food safety
- Division of Agriculture.
- 11:30 a.m. — Robotic hand harvester, Andrea Myers, masters student, University of Arkansas; Renee Threlfall, research scientist-enology and viticulture for the Division of Agriculture.
- 11:45 a.m. — Insights on using H2A labor, H2A Complete.
- 1:15 p.m. — Southeastern blackberry budgets: Overview and how to use them, Daniel Tegeagle, North Carolina State University.
- 2 p.m. — Marketing blackberries regionally, Ken Hopps, Sun Belle
- 2:45 p.m. — Grower Profile: Barnhill Orchards and Local Marketing, Ekko Barnhill, Cabot, Arkansas.
- 3:15 p.m. — Q and A with farmer panel: Les Dozier, of Sta-N-Step Farms, Fayetteville, Arkansas; Matt Wilson, Ritter Farms; Bob Poole, Hickory Hills Farms, Huntsville, Arkansas.
- 3:45 p.m. — Reflections on a fruitful career in blackberries: John Clark, distinguished professor, fruit breeder, Division of Agriculture.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension
Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension.
To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural
Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch.
To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact: Mary Hightower
mhightower@uada.edu