Small Fruit

University of Maine Cooperative Extension Small Fruits Program staff develop and deliver research-based information on the production of small fruit crops (strawberries, raspberries, highbush blueberries, grapes, elderberries) through publications, workshops, meetings, farm visits, correspondence, and telephone consultations. The program emphasizes integrated pest management strategies, including coordination of an integrated pest management program for commercially grown strawberries; appropriate variety selection; optimum production techniques; and marketing. Target audiences include farmers, UMaine Extension faculty, and home gardeners. Applied research and demonstration plantings are developed and maintained in cooperation with the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. Efforts are coordinated with  UMaine Extension’s Pest Management and county offices, and other agencies, such as the Maine Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources, and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.

Selected Resources

• Bulletin #2253: Growing Highbush Blueberries
• Bulletin #2066: Growing Raspberries and Blackberries
• Bulletin #2172: Raspberry and Blackberry Varieties for Maine
• Bulletin #2067: Growing Strawberries
• Bulletin #2069: Growing Elderberries: A Production Manual and Enterprise Viability Guide for Vermont and the Northeast
• Sources of Small Fruit Plants