Wild Blueberry Newsletter, April 2017

Wild Blueberry Newsletter header graphic, text and a photo of blueberries and leaves


April 2017


Integrated Crop Management Field Training Sessions

Field training sessions will be offered at three locations to demonstrate and discuss the Integrated Crop Management (ICM) field scouting techniques in Wild Blueberry Fact Sheet No. 204.  The first and second session will cover mummy berry blight identification and monitoring, insect sweeping and identification, and weed identification and management.  The third session will cover blueberry maggot fly trapping, spotted wing drosophila ID and trapping, leaf and soil sampling, leaf spot identification and monitoring and weed identification and management.

Knox/Lincoln Counties

  • Dates: Tuesday, May 2, May 30, June 27, 2017
  • Time: 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
  • Location: Donna Dolham, Route 235, 2740 Western Road, Warren, Maine

Washington County

  • Dates: Wednesday, May 3, May 31, June 28, 2017
  • Time: 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
  • Location: Blueberry Hill Farm, 1643 Route 1, Jonesboro, Maine

Hancock County

  • Dates: Thursday, May 4, June 1, June 29, 2017
  • Time: 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
  • Location: G. M. Allen’s Freezer, Route 15, Orland, Maine

One recertification credit per session will be offered for certified pesticide applicators for each session.

Agricultural Wild Blueberry Heritage Center and Virtual Museum Planned

Dell and Marie Emerson, Wild Blueberry Land in Columbia Falls, are developing the Agricultural Wild Blueberry Heritage Center and Virtual Museum. Their mission statement is:

To collect, teach, and preserve the history of the wild blueberry industry using current technology, and to seek to differentiate between the wild blueberry and the cultivated blueberry; to highlight its importance to our local agricultural community and how it contributes to the economy of Maine.

Their intent for the Agricultural Wild Blueberry Heritage Center and Virtual Museum is to promote the “Wild Difference” via a center at Wild Blueberry Land in Columbia Falls and to reach the world through a virtual museum that will showcase the historical difference between wild and highbush blueberries and to promote the numerous health benefits of wild blueberries.

They are seeking input from families of growers asking them to record their memories and stories of wild blueberry harvests and work done on their farms, they will be recording until December.  If you wish to contribute items for the museum or share your story, then contact Del and Marie Emerson at 483.3884 and allow them to preserve your memories and legacy. They are an IRS non-profit 501(3)(c) so any donations of equipment and artifacts will be tax deductible.

Visit them on the Wild Blueberry Land website to take the wild pledge.  It is only a promise to always say “WILD” when speaking of our native Maine blueberries.  They are not asking for anything, only a commitment to the “Wild Difference“.

Request for Historical Wild Blueberry Exhibit Items

The Union Fair has plans to set up a permanent exhibit of Wild Blueberry Farming on the fairgrounds for viewing by fairgoers and attendees at the Matthews Museum.  They are seeking the support of industry representatives who might donate items for the exhibit.  Such items might include labels, boxes, rakes, photos and displays that would be of interest to the general public.  It would give the museum and the industry an opportunity to publicize wild blueberries from the historical perspective as well as the practical practices in use today.

If you wish to contribute, contact George Gross.  He may be reached by email at njmoxie1@verizon.net, or by phone at his home until May 1 at 802.476.2792 or his Maine cottage after May 1 at 207.563.1544.  He would be more than willing to meet with those interested to discuss possible contributions and support.

Sincerely,

Dave
David E. Yarborough
Extension Blueberry Specialist


Wild blueberry fact sheets, past newsletters, contacts, resource links, calendar of events, and more can be found on the Cooperative Extension’s Maine Wild Blueberries website.


Information in this publication is provided purely for educational purposes. No responsibility is assumed for any problems associated with the use of products or services mentioned. No endorsement of products or companies is intended, nor is criticism of unnamed products or companies implied.

© 2017

Call 800.287.0274 (in Maine), or 207.581.3188, for information on publications and program offerings from University of Maine Cooperative Extension, or visit extension.umaine.edu.

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