Ripening Eastern Montana: The ABCs of Fruit Production

Published: 2020
By Callie Cooley

If 2020 taught us anything, it should be that adapting programs to meet community needs and thinking “outside the box” are essential. COVID-19 prompted MSU Extension in Yellowstone County to host their first ever ag-related hybrid program. Ripening Eastern Montana: The ABCs of Fruit Production offered four webinars and an in-person vineyard tour. Recognizing an underserved audience, the program targeted people interested in fruit production living on the eastern side of Montana. The presentations focused on basic information including site selection, soil preparation, pest management, and variety selection. Overall interest in the webinar series was high, with Facebook data alone verifying need. Three pre-program advertising posts reached over 4,500 Facebook users resulting in 406 engagements. Furthermore, the program’s turnout and impact were successful. Fifty-eight individuals from seven Montana counties participated in the webinars and 17 attended the FBar3 Vineyard tour in Laurel. Of those who attended, 100% rated the workshop content as either moderately useful or very useful, and 94% indicated they were very likely to make management changes based on the information learned. A participant who attended all four webinars stated that the class not only helped him identify goals for his business, but the pest management information learned would likely save him $1,100 per year.