Expo attendees find lots of time to talk to each other.
A few weeks ago, this year’s Southeast Strawberry Expo brought together about 300 strawberry growers, research and extension folks, suppliers to the industry, and others. Though the NC Strawberry Association is a state commodity organization, its membership and Expo attendees come from many states– among those coming the farthest were growers from Texas and Wisconsin, suppliers from California and Wisconsin, and a strawberry plant producer from Eastern Canada. Most attendees come from North Carolina and its neighboring states, and North Carolina’s research and extension expertise in strawberries serves them all.
One of the things that makes the Strawberry Expo so special is growers’ willingness to sharetheir own experiences and expertise with each other. During this year’s general sessions, grower speakers were featured in two “Grower Spotlight” presentations and in a panel of “100 Years of Experience”, an extraordinary confluence of thoughtful insights by five leading growers.
The Expo is an especially valuable learning opportunity for new growers. Their introduction to this supportive community is usually a “Getting Started in Strawberry Plasticulture” workshop. They come with their first plants having just been set out a few weeks ago, full of questions and mistakes already made.
A highlight of the Expo is the farm tour. This year’s tour visited three farms in Wake County: DJ’s Berry Patch, Buckwheat Farm, and Porter Farms and Nursery. If a picture is worth a thousand words, being there and talking to the owners must be worth a million. What is the market set up? How do you handle customers? How do the plants look — compared to mine or the ones at the last farm?
The group clusters to listen at Porter Farms and Nursery
How do you manage your irrigation, labor, frost protection? Or, that’s an idea I can use: the sign, the table, the parking…. Gorgeous weather and a BBQ dinner and wine tasting at Adams Vineyards added to the enjoyment of it all.
The Expo not only provides the tools to improve success in next year’s strawberry growing, it energizes and inspires its attendees for the coming year.
