Workshop: Saffron production and marketing
The North American Center for Saffron Research and Development at the University of Vermont (UVM) is hosting the 3rd annual workshop on Saffron production and marketing on Friday, March 15, 2019 in Burlington, VT. Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world, with a retail price of over $5,000/lb. It is made from the stigmas of a fall-blooming crocus flower (Crocus sativus), and is used as a culinary spice, coloring agent and medicinal herb. Saffron is a high-value crop that could significantly strengthen sustainable agriculture, and preserve the rural working landscapes of North America.
In 2015 UVM scientists began studying the potential of growing saffron in protected environments and obtained yields greater than what is reported in traditional saffron-growing areas of West Asia and southern Europe. Hundreds of farmers across the US are now growing saffron with great success, but they are eager to learn more. Saffron experts from Italy, Canada, Morocco, The Netherlands and the US will be on hand to share their knowledge. In addition, growers from across the US will be there to talk about their experiences with saffron production, processing and marketing the final product. This event is sponsored by funding from the Vermont Department of Agriculture Specialty Crops Program; Univ. of Vermont Extension and College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; Roco Saffron (Netherlands); Clesia (Italy) and the USDA Hatch Program. To learn more about the workshop and for registration information, go to the UVM saffron website or contact Margaret Skinner at 1.802.656-.5440; email: mskinner@uvm.edu