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June
2004
Twenty-five Years of the North American
Strawberry Industry (Northland Berry News,
Spring ’04) is excerpted from a talk delivered by Dr.
Tom Sjulin at the 2004 North American Berry Conference in
Tampa. “In 1978, California produced 76% of the total
US production, Florida produced 5% and the rest of the US’s
share was 18%. Last year, California’s share was 88%,
Florida was 8% and the rest of the US was 4%. During this
same period, total US production tripled . . . The production
value has grown . . . from $209 million in k1978 to $1.33
billion in 2003.” Sjulin recommends growers “Look
at the changes in the North Americn strawberry industry in
the past 25 years and take advantage of them. Consumers now
eat fresh strawberries all year around and they show every
sign of wanting more. . . . We’ve figured out ways to
pick a lot more strawberries in January through March and
July through December without picking too many in April, and
the consumers have responded. . . People are getting older,
they are worried about what they’ve bren eating for
the past 30 years, and they want to eat more fresh strawberries.”
Read the complete text of the presentation at http://strawberry.ifas.ufl.edu.
Nutrient Management in Strawberries
is featured in Country Folks Grower (June
’04). “It is difficult to provide precise recommendations
for a particular farm, because many factors influence nutrient
uptake and availability including pH, moisture, organic matter
content, clay content, mineral composition, tillage, herbicide
use, fertilization history and weather. Using a combination
of soil testing, tissue analysis, scheduled fertilizer applications
and observation of crop response is currently a grower’s
best approach for managing nutrients in strawberry fields.”
The article is available online at the New York Berry News
website, http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/extension/tfabp/newslett/nybn35.pdf.
Selling Fruit and Vegetables Through
a CSA is discussed in Country Folks Grower (June
’04). “Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) or
subscription farming is essentially grower contracting and
can be applied to any type of farm. The producer ‘contracts’
with a consumer to provide a specific type of product during
a specific time period, and with a specific delivery date.
An added benefit of this type of marketing is that it tends
to even out the peaks and valleys of cash flow for the producers.”
Weed Management in Matted Row Strawberries
is reprinted in Country Folks Grower (June
’04). “Weed control is probably the single most
important factor determining longevity of matted row strawberry
plantings in the northeast. It is critical for growers to
successfully manage weeds in spite of limited herbicide availability
and the high cost for hand weeding.” The article discusses
broad spectrum and pre-emergent herbicide use and hand weeding
practices. It ends by noting, “Managing weed pests through
an integrated program of chemical control, good cultural practices,
and vigilant hand weeding can help ensure the vigorous establishment
of new plantings and a long life for matted row strawberry
fields in the northeast.” Read the complete article
online at http://www.umass.edu/fruitadvisor/berrynotes/bn0715.pdf.
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