SPC attendees tour strawberry facility and fields
SPC attendees tour strawberry facility and fields
TAMPA, FL " Attendees of the Southeast Produce Council?s recent conference and expo had an opportunity to visit a strawberry laboratory and private company to gain insight into what it takes to produce the high-quality product that Florida is known for.
The council?s second annual Retail & Foodservice Conference and Expo took place March 10-12 here, close to the Plant City-Dover area of the state known as the "Winter Strawberry Capital of the World," so it was a natural that the council dubbed this part of the event the "very berry field tours."
Tour participants left by bus at 8 a.m. for the ride to the first stop: the University of Florida?s Research & Education Center in Dover, where attendees split into small groups to hear four experts talk about strawberries from four different perspectives.
Hillsborough County produces about 15 percent of the nation?s strawberries and virtually all the berries grown during the winter, according to SPC literature. The center has paved the way for major advances in strawberry production, and breeding work has resulted in new varieties for the area, many of which are known worldwide.
The first expert (to speak to the group that included this writer) was Jim Price, an entomologist with the university who jokingly called himself "the worm guy." He spoke about the center?s biological program and other aspects of insect control. He said that spider mites are a big problem for strawberry growers in the state, and explained a bit about how the problem is dealt with using predators, most of which come from Holland.
John Duval, an assistant professor at the university, spoke next on soil treatment, including how the strawberry industry and others are trying to cope with the upcoming loss of methyl bromide. Some people have estimated that without methyl bromide to treat the soil, production of some items could drop by 30 percent.
The next experts to address the group were Alicia Whidden, an Extension agent, and Craig Chandler, a plant breeder. Ms. Whidden spoke about how important strawberries and other crops are to Hillsborough County, with Mr. Chandler noting that agriculture is the No. 1 industry in the country.
He also informed the group that the Festival variety of strawberry, released in 2000, is now the main variety in the state. The Carmine variety, released in 2002, is noted for its deep red color, said Mr. Chandler, adding that this may account for its very high level of antioxidants.
Varietal research is a constant at all research facilities, and this facility is no exception. Mr. Chandler announced that a new early-maturing variety called Winter Dawn will be released this spring, a fact not lost on the retailers in the group.
?It would be great to have some berries in December, for Christmas," said Bob Denomme, category manager of BI-LO Inc., headquartered in Greenville, SC, with over 400 stores in the Southeast.
The last expert at the center to address the group was Natalia Peres, a plant pathologist, who spoke about diseases, such as gray mold, that can hurt strawberries.
The tour group re-boarded the bus for a stop at San-Way Farms in Plant City, a grower for Gulf Coast Produce. The farm includes 225 acres of berries, 200 acres of cantaloupes and 88 acres of pickling cucumbers.
Following a delicious barbecue lunch at the Boggy Bottom Bar-B-Que Ranch, courtesy of Gulf Coast Produce, the group returned around 2 p.m. to get ready for the rest of the day?s activities.
(Photos from the SPC conference and expo appear throughout the March 21 issue of The Produce News.)
The council?s second annual Retail & Foodservice Conference and Expo took place March 10-12 here, close to the Plant City-Dover area of the state known as the "Winter Strawberry Capital of the World," so it was a natural that the council dubbed this part of the event the "very berry field tours."
Tour participants left by bus at 8 a.m. for the ride to the first stop: the University of Florida?s Research & Education Center in Dover, where attendees split into small groups to hear four experts talk about strawberries from four different perspectives.
Hillsborough County produces about 15 percent of the nation?s strawberries and virtually all the berries grown during the winter, according to SPC literature. The center has paved the way for major advances in strawberry production, and breeding work has resulted in new varieties for the area, many of which are known worldwide.
The first expert (to speak to the group that included this writer) was Jim Price, an entomologist with the university who jokingly called himself "the worm guy." He spoke about the center?s biological program and other aspects of insect control. He said that spider mites are a big problem for strawberry growers in the state, and explained a bit about how the problem is dealt with using predators, most of which come from Holland.
John Duval, an assistant professor at the university, spoke next on soil treatment, including how the strawberry industry and others are trying to cope with the upcoming loss of methyl bromide. Some people have estimated that without methyl bromide to treat the soil, production of some items could drop by 30 percent.
The next experts to address the group were Alicia Whidden, an Extension agent, and Craig Chandler, a plant breeder. Ms. Whidden spoke about how important strawberries and other crops are to Hillsborough County, with Mr. Chandler noting that agriculture is the No. 1 industry in the country.
He also informed the group that the Festival variety of strawberry, released in 2000, is now the main variety in the state. The Carmine variety, released in 2002, is noted for its deep red color, said Mr. Chandler, adding that this may account for its very high level of antioxidants.
Varietal research is a constant at all research facilities, and this facility is no exception. Mr. Chandler announced that a new early-maturing variety called Winter Dawn will be released this spring, a fact not lost on the retailers in the group.
?It would be great to have some berries in December, for Christmas," said Bob Denomme, category manager of BI-LO Inc., headquartered in Greenville, SC, with over 400 stores in the Southeast.
The last expert at the center to address the group was Natalia Peres, a plant pathologist, who spoke about diseases, such as gray mold, that can hurt strawberries.
The tour group re-boarded the bus for a stop at San-Way Farms in Plant City, a grower for Gulf Coast Produce. The farm includes 225 acres of berries, 200 acres of cantaloupes and 88 acres of pickling cucumbers.
Following a delicious barbecue lunch at the Boggy Bottom Bar-B-Que Ranch, courtesy of Gulf Coast Produce, the group returned around 2 p.m. to get ready for the rest of the day?s activities.
(Photos from the SPC conference and expo appear throughout the March 21 issue of The Produce News.)
