Jun 21, 2018

U-pick tips offered in Michigan educational videos

The Michigan Agritourism Association has just released two educational videos that showcase picking techniques and farm etiquette at Michigan u-pick fruit farms. The videos are part of a series of seven videos that were produced with support from a Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Specialty Crop Block Grant.

These videos were filmed at Michigan farms with a goal of educating the public about u-pick fruit and to improve the u-pick experience for both visitors and farmers. To kick-off the 2018 u-pick season, How to Pick Strawberries and 10 Tips for Fun on a U-Pick Farm were released.

“Michigan Agritourism is pleased share these informative videos with the public, as u-pick can be such a fun experience, and these videos provide tips to make it even more enjoyable,” said Natalie Klackle, president of the Association. “Knowing what to wear on the farm, how to pick different fruits and what to do with the fruit when you get back home can help you get the most out of your visit. Farmers appreciate this, too, as knowledgeable customers make great visitors. Trees are sometimes damaged or fruit is wasted simply because visitors didn’t know there is a proper way to pick and some basic farm rules to follow.”

Michigan Agritourism also partnered with Michigan Fresh, a project of Michigan State University Extension, to create flyers that include nutrition and storage information for each fruit in the series.

“MSU Extension’s Michigan Fresh campaign is pleased to partner with the Michigan Agritourism Association to provide educational materials to the public on how to select, prepare and preserve Michigan grown fruits. We are so fortunate to live in a state that produces such a wide variety of fruits and we are happy to share techniques on how to share them with your family and friends,” said Kendra Wills, Michigan Fresh team leader with MSU Extension.

The series includes “How to Pick” videos for apples, cherries, blueberries, raspberries and peaches, which will be released as each fruit comes into season. The videos can be viewed at www.michiganfarmfun.com.