Cornell Small Farms Program: BF 122: Berry Production

November 8 - December 16, 2016


Target Audience

This course will be especially useful if you are exploring the possibilities of growing berries for income - be it supplemental or for your livelihood. The material presented will assume little past knowledge of farming, but a background in gardening will be very helpful.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this course, you will understand:

• Primary considerations when choosing a site for successful berry farming
• Basic cultural demands of the 3 major berry crops (strawberry, blueberry and brambles)
• Cultural requirements of an array of lesser known berry crops
• Pest complexes of the major berry crops
• Post-harvest requirements of berries
• Considerations for successful marketing of berry crops
• How to analyze costs vs. expenses and be able to incorporate them into a business plan

Webinars

The bulk of the course happens on your own time, with discussions, readings, and assignments in MOODLE, our virtual classroom. To add to the experience, webinars will be woven into the online interface of the course to allow you to meet on a weekly basis to learn from outside presenters and ask questions to address your farm issues in real time. If you miss a webinar, they are always recorded and posted for later viewing.

Instructors

Laura McDermott is a regional fruit and vegetable specialist for the Capital District Fruit and Vegetable Team of Cornell Cooperative Extension in NY.

Jim O'Connell is the small fruits educator for the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ulster County, NY and the Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program.