WETASKIWIN, Alta. – Rob Spencer sometimes thinks all that fruit and vegetable growers need to start sharing ideas is a bit of food and a picnic table.
Instead, Alberta’s commercial horticulture specialist helps organize tours of fruit and vegetable growers twice a year to kick-start discussions between experienced and new growers.
“The idea sharing is incredible,” said Spencer, who helped organize the recent Alberta Farm Fresh Producers Association field day at Stevens Strawberries of Wetaskiwin and Pipestone Berry Farm at Millet.
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Cousins Kerry and Ron Stevens have grown strawberries on the family farm for 19 years. The pair has had rough years, but the U-pick strawberry operation has generally been profitable.
“It’s farming,” said Ron.
The farm lost money last year, but good rain this year has the owners anticipating profit.
“Most years it’s profitable,” said Kerry. “The seven acres of strawberries should out-produce the 480 acres of the rest of the farm.”
It’s the kind of information that new and potential growers hope to hear.
Cindy Iverson grows saskatoons, raspberries and strawberries on her Tomahawk area farm and hopes they will become a retirement project for her family.
She said the information that is made available on the tours is invaluable.
“It’s a learning experience for me. I am getting tips from experienced growers.”
The Stevens provided the following tips for strawberry growers:
• Apply anhydrous ammonia to bagged wheat straw bales to kill weeds and grain before adding the bales to strawberry fields to hold moisture, keep berries clean and protect berries over winter. The cousins spread 75 round bales of chopped straw on four acres of berries.
• Sell strawberries by the pound rather than by the pail to help even out costs to customers, who often have different ideas about what constitutes a full pail of berries.
• Coyotes and crows eat strawberries, but customers are usually in the field when the berries are ready and act as a good deterrent. Mice aren’t much of a problem in the fields, but they can plug up irrigation nozzles.
• Finding and keeping labour is always a concern. There always seems to be more work than workers in the busy summer season.
Feed your face
Strawberries are rated as one of the best foods for skin care and weight loss. Studies have shown that regular intake of strawberries can improve skin and hair conditions.
Over-ripe strawberries make a good exfoliator. Add olive oil and salt to make a paste and massage onto dry areas of your face to give it a healthy glow.
