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Strawberry Fields (in Loudoun) Forever
Another event hosted by Leslie Blischak at the Virginia Cooperative Extension office here in Leesburg:
Interested in Strawberry Production in Loudoun County?
One of the most glorious moments of spring is when you take your first bite of a strawberry. For those of us who wait for those fruit grown in our very own Loudoun soil, the payoff is strawberry perfection. Sure you can buy strawberries from Florida in February, but who needs an anemic, tough, tasteless strawberry? The demand for locally grown strawberries far exceeds supply. So why is it so few farmers in Loudoun are interested in growing these small fruit gems? The perception that strawberries are a difficult crop to produce due to disease and insect issues continues to deter small producers. In addition, a number of conventional recommendations include fumigation as a soil preparation necessity and are geared toward large scale, plasticulture production. On August 5th, 2008 growers who are interested in strawberry production, but would like more information are invited to attend the Northern Region Strawberry Pre-Plant Meeting. This program will be held at the Loudoun Extension Office in Leesburg and is scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm. This meeting is intended to prepare local farmers with information structured specifically for our region. Planting dates, nursery and cultivar selection, site/soil preparation and other topics will be covered to assist producers in getting ready for fall planting. This program is free of charge and refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP by August 4th to Leslie Blischak at the Loudoun Extension Office. 703-737-8978 or lblischa@vt.edu
More event announcements to come!
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