The “Growing Small Fruit on Your Farm” course will teach you the best cultural practices for raising small fruit crops in Maine, including strawberries, raspberries and high bush blueberries. All of these crops can work well both in the home garden and on commercial farms, but proper planning and preparation are crucial to their success. This course will illustrate the essential steps needed to make your berry planting a rewarding experience. We will cover how to choose the best site, what to look for in plant varieties, preparing the soil, planting, fertilizing, pruning and pest management.

The online training will run Tuesdays in October and November: Oct. 17, 24 & 31 and Nov. 7 & 14, 2023 at 1-2:30 pm each session.

Topics to be covered: 

October 17: Introduction to Growing Small Fruit in Maine

October 24: Strawberry Production

October 31: Raspberry and Blackberry Production

November 7: High Bush Blueberry Production

November 14: Small Fruit Pest Management

We strive to make the training accessible and affordable for all Maine residents. Please select the course fee that is the best fit for you:

$60: Suggested for those who can afford the full course fee.

$30: Suggested fee for those who can afford 50% of the full course fee. Please use voucher code: fruit50

$15: Suggested fee for participants for whom the full course fee would prove a barrier to participation. Please use voucher code: fruit75

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If you need technical assistance with registration, please contact Stephanie Wright stephanie.wright@maine.edu or call 207.933.2100.

Technology Requirements: The course content will be entirely online on Brightspace. An email address, access to a reliable internet connection, the newest version of your web browser and an electronic device (i.e. laptop, desktop, iPad, or tablet) with video/audio capabilities are required to complete this course.

For more details about the program, please visit our website.