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Ravalli County

Montana Berry Growers Association forming to support the high-value crop possibilities of small fruits

Published: 2019
By Patrick Mangan
Ravalli County MSU Extension partnered with Missoula County MSU Extension and the MSU Western Agriculture Research Center to develop and implement multiple seminars and training sessions for the emerging small fruit and berry orchardists throughout Montana. This growing industry holds a promise of high per-acre incomes, enabling smaller farms to produce a desirable income from a small footprint of land. In April 2019, a statewide workshop was held in Missoula with 30 interested growers in attendance. Presentations included choosing the right berry varieties, establishment of berry orchards, and disease and pest management, and the workshop included a discussion panel for marketing and processing possibilities with the different types of fruit. Growers requested the formation of a state growers association for berries that would increase public awareness about new fruits entering the market and provide an association voice for continued statewide advocacy and development. MSU Extension agents from Ravalli and Missoula Counties have been leading the group through the process to form a growers association, which officially filed paperwork in late 2019. The new Montana Berry Growers Association is planning the first annual member meeting and educational conference for April of 2020 with the help of MSU Extension and university staff.
Berry growers learning while on a tour of the Western Agriculture Research Center berry trial plots. Photo by Patrick Mangan