This month's notes: May 2013: The cool weather has delayed blooms and slowed growth by a couple of weeks, but don't miss strawberries: they started in most Southern areas in late April, and in late May up north. Click here for strawberry facts and picking tips, and this page for easy strawberry jam making directions. Blueberries will come in June in most areas. Of course, Florida, southern Texas, and other very warm areas are already picking both crops! See this page for hundreds of easy canning and freezing instructions/recipes, canning equipment guide! Also make your own ice cream - see How to make ice cream and ice cream making equipment and manuals. Then see each state's crop availability calendar for more specific dates of upcoming crops. Organic farms are identified in green!  See our guide to local fruit and vegetable festivals!. Please tell the farms you found them here - and ask them to update their information!!

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Resources for Farmers: Agri-Entertainment, PYO, U-Pick, Corn MAzes, Pumpkin Patches and Other direct to the consumer Farm Operations!

Resources for Farmers

Are you interested in starting a PYO operation?  Or you are looking for information to help manage your operation better? The information below ought to be of great value to you! Start with the first link below about how to start a pick-your-own farm, and remember, you can list your farm, orchard, pumpkin patch, horse riding stables, Christmas tree farm etc, on this website for free!

Here are some of the U-pick-specific resources I've found on the internet:

How to start a pick-your-own or other agri-entertainment operation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Training, Seminars and Conferences

Supplies and management services

Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes

Farmer's Organizations:

Resource websites:

  • Beginning Farmers.com - provides information for new farmers and potential farmers about: funding resources, finding land, internships and jobs, production practices, marketing strategies, farmer training programs, business planning, useful publications, and lots more.
  • Library4farming is publishing a series of books on the web on all aspects of farming. Currently they have published The Yearbook of Agriculture for 1947, titled "Science in Farming". hey have in process the Yearbooks of Agriculture "Gardening for Food and Fun", "Insects" and "Seeds".

More research for farmers

 

Who Is The Typical PYO Customer?
 according to the University of Wisconsin

  • Age: One-fourth are over 62, and 43% are 26-45 
  • Education: Nearly 60% are educated beyond high school, with one-third being college graduates. 
  • Income: Two-thirds have annual household incomes over $25,000, and one-fifth have incomes over $50,000. 
  • Spend at the PYO: One-third spend between $5 and $10 per visit.  One-fourth spend less than $5.  One in 10 purchase $20 or more per visit. 
  • Found the farm by: Over half learned of the market through word-of-mouth.  (obviously this study was done before www.pickyourown.org! :)
  • Far far to go: Eighty percent traveled less than 40 miles to get to the farm. 
  • Want organic: Nearly half are concerned about the use of agricultural chemicals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Newsletters

Florida Berry/Vegetable Times
Massachusetts Berry Notes
Michigan State University Fruit Crop Advisory Team (CAT) alerts
Ontario Berry Newsletter
Strawberry IPM update
The New York Berry News

Nursery Selection

Guide:http://www.fruit.cornell.edu/Berries/nurseries/index.html
Lists of available cultivars of North American berry crops and nurseries that sell them.

Publications, Factsheets, Infosheets

Minnesota Apple & Strawberry Reports
Ontario Agriculture and Food: Berry Page
PSU Small Fruits web site
Strawberry Eats & Treats - The Guide to Enjoying Strawberries
U. of Florida Strawberry Lab
U. of Vermont Berry Links

Organizations in the states and Canadian provinces that are interested in berries, small fruit, etc.

Strawberries

California Strawberry Commission
Florida Strawberry Growers Association
BC Strawberries.com - Fraser Valley Strawberry Growers Association
N C Strawberry Association
Oregon Raspberry & Blackberry Commission

Blueberries

British Columbia Blueberry Council
MBG Blueberry Marketing Cooperative
North American Blueberry Council
Wild Blueberry Association of North America

Brambles

British Columbia Raspberry Growers' Association
British Columbia Raspberry Industry Development Council
North American Bramble Growers Association
Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission
Home of the Washington Red Raspberry Commission

Cherries

California Cherry Commission
Cherry Marketing Institute

Cranberries

Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association
Maine Cranberry Growers' Association
Washington Cranberry Commission

General - United States

California Tree Fruit Agreement
Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association
Michigan State Horticultural Society
Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association
New England Produce Council
Northwest Horticultural Council
Northwest Berry and Grape Information Network
Northwest Center for Small Fruits Research
 Prairie Fruit Growers Association
Texas Produce Association
United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association
Washington State Fruit Commission
Washington State Horticultural Association

General - International

Canadian Horticulture Council
Canadian Produce Marketing Association
Fruit Growers Society of Alberta
Histoire naturelle des fraisiers
Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association
Ontario Produce Marketing Association
Queensland Fruit and Vegetable Ltd.

Resources

Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (USDA)

Cornell Fruit Resources - Your gateway to information at Cornell University, the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station & related programs.

http://www.hightunnels.org -- This website is part of a USDA-sponsored project that is testing and promoting high tunnel systems in the Central Great Plains.

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service http://www.attra.ncat.org/horticultural.html

New England Small Farm Institute -- A private non-profit organization supporting beginning farmers and sustainable small scale agriculture throughout New England.

North Carolina Berry Agent

Pesticide.net

The Rodale Institute

Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium

The California Strawberry Commission

Growing Algae as a Commercial Crop

  • National Algae Association - ,
    4747 Research Forest Dr., Suite 180, The Woodlands, TX 77381. Phone: 936-321-1125. Email: info@nationalalgaeassociation.com. Open: 24/7, 365 days. Directions: See their website for directions. Payment: . Growing, Harvesting and Extraction on acreage New Algae Production Incubator Program A New Innovative Algae Farming Cooperative Acreage and Services available for qualified Algaepreneurs Learn about the first Algae Production Incubator - a new algae farming cooperative. Algae is one solution to help the US get off of foreign oil, become energy independent and create new jobs. Potential new markets: Jet Fuel Nutraceutical Green Diesel Pharmaceutical Biodiesel Cosmetics Biogasoline Organic Fertilizer Bioplastics Livestock, Poultry and Fish Feed (Suggested by a visitor, ADDED: November 18, 2010)

 

Remember to ALWAYS call the farm or orchard BEFORE you go - weather, heavy picking and business conditions can always affect their hours and crops!

PYO Farms in Other Countries: [ Australia ] [ Canada ] [ South Africa ] [ New Zealand ] [ United Kingdom ]

Our other free, informative sites you may like:

EHSO.com - Environmental health and safety information and guidance for the home
ConsumerFraudReporting.org - Information about identity theft, frauds and scams; how to report them and how to protect your identity.
FitnessAndHealthScience.org - Practical fitness, health and diet information that works.
And our other related websites!

Care to Donate to help me keep the website going? Donate to me at Benevia here:

Use the feedback form for questions, comments and feedback about farms -  Use this form suggest a farm to add to the website? 
Or as a last result (I reply to the forms FIRST),write me at 
 Write to pickyourown.org
All images and text  Copyright © Benivia, LLC 2004 - 2012 All rights reserved.   
Disclaimer and Privacy Policy
Permission is given to link to any page on www.pickyourown.org Do NOT copy and republish this page in whole or part, that is a copyright violation which will be prosecuted: link to the page instead!
Looking for jobs on farms?  Farmers: If you'd like to advertise or have your own web page(s), click here!

Remember to ALWAYS call the farm or orchard BEFORE you go - weather, heavy picking and business conditions can always affect their hours and crops!

PYO Farms in Other Countries: [ Australia ] [ Canada ] [ South Africa ] [ New Zealand ] [ United Kingdom ]

Our other free, informative sites you may like:

EHSO.com - Environmental health and safety information and guidance for the home
ConsumerFraudReporting.org - Information about identity theft, frauds and scams; how to report them and how to protect your identity.
FitnessAndHealthScience.org - Practical fitness, health and diet information that works.
And our other related websites!

Care to Donate to help me keep the website going? Donate to me at Benevia here:

Use the feedback form for questions, comments and feedback about farms -  Use this form suggest a farm to add to the website? 
Or as a last result (I reply to the forms FIRST),write me at 
 Write to pickyourown.org
All images and text  Copyright © Benivia, LLC 2004 - 2012 All rights reserved.   
Disclaimer and Privacy Policy
Permission is given to link to any page on www.pickyourown.org Do NOT copy and republish this page in whole or part, that is a copyright violation which will be prosecuted: link to the page instead!
Looking for jobs on farms?  Farmers: If you'd like to advertise or have your own web page(s), click here!

Remember to ALWAYS call the farm or orchard BEFORE you go - weather, heavy picking and business conditions can always affect their hours and crops!

PYO Farms in Other Countries: [ Australia ] [ Canada ] [ South Africa ] [ New Zealand ] [ United Kingdom ]

Our other free, informative sites you may like:

EHSO.com - Environmental health and safety information and guidance for the home
ConsumerFraudReporting.org - Information about identity theft, frauds and scams; how to report them and how to protect your identity.
FitnessAndHealthScience.org - Practical fitness, health and diet information that works.
And our other related websites!

Care to Donate to help me keep the website going? Donate to me at Benevia here:

Use the feedback form for questions, comments and feedback about farms -  Use this form suggest a farm to add to the website? 
Or as a last result (I reply to the forms FIRST),write me at 
 Write to pickyourown.org
All images and text  Copyright © Benivia, LLC 2004 - 2012 All rights reserved.   
Disclaimer and Privacy Policy
Permission is given to link to any page on www.pickyourown.org Do NOT copy and republish this page in whole or part, that is a copyright violation which will be prosecuted: link to the page instead!
Looking for jobs on farms?  Farmers: If you'd like to advertise or have your own web page(s), click here!