What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made on the farm?
Touring metropolitan Chicago’s strawberry farms
I wanna give a shout out to all my NASGA peeps!
Translation: I’d like to acknowledge all the friendly strawberry growers and others that I met during the North American Strawberry Growers Association’s recent tour of Chicago-area farms.
The two-day tour, Aug. 11-12, gave two busloads of people a detailed look at a diverse handful of berry farms that are thriving on Chicago’s fringes. It must be nerve-wracking for the growers who host some of these events; not only do you have to keep dozens of guests occupied, those guests are all your peers – and you know they’re scrutinizing everything they see with the eyes of somebody who’s been there.
But you also know they’re farmers, who, in general, are too polite and respectful to openly criticize a fellow farmer. There might be a few comments made back on the bus – positive and negative – but none made in malice. They’re rooting for you, just like they’re rooting for themselves.
I shot some videos during the tour. The one below records Ron Goldy, a Michigan State University Extension educator, talking about growing strawberries and other crops under high tunnels at the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center in Benton Harbor
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Events Calendar
August 27, 2009 Tomato Production Update - An Heirloom Tomato Variety Trial Miller's Big Red Greenhouse & Cider Mill, Washington, Mich.
Contact: Hannah Stevens
Phone: 586-469-6440
E-Mail: stevnsh@msu.edu
Sept. 2-4, 2009 Asia Fruit Congress: Conference for the International Fresh Produce Business Hong Kong
Web site: www.asiafruitcongress.com
Sept. 8-10, 2009 PotatoEurope 2009 Emmeloord, The Netherlands
Web site: www.potato2009.com
