02-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 8, 2000
Berries Could Provide Economic Bonus For Ohio Farmers
COLUMBUS, Ohio-Ohio
farmers with small- and medi
um-sized farms could bring in
some extra income by planting
berries, said Dick Funt, Ohio
State University Extension
small fruits specialist.
Recent health studies that
show berries can reduce the risk
of cancer and heart disease have
increased their demand.
“We can sell all the berries
that are grown in Ohio if we can
get them picked,” Funt said. “In
fact, I think we could produce
twice as many berries as what
we’re producing today before
supply would reach demand.”
There are many new types of
berries available with better
flavor, shipping qualities and
other improvements that make
Crop Insurance Reform
Conference Committee
WASHINGTON, D.C.
The National Farmers Union
(NFU) applauded the recent
Senate passage of a bill to make
needed reforms to the federal
crop insurance program.
The measure, authored by
Sens. Robert Kerrey, D-Neb.,
and Pat Roberts, R-Kan., lowers
premiums for farmers and
ranchers and provides addi
tional incentives to purchase
higher levels of coverage.
The bill also improves cover
age for producers facing multi
ple years of disasters, addresses
quality adjustment and yield
history issues and includes sev
eral pilot programs, including
giving producers a choice be
tween a direct cash payment for
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marketing easier. And, research
at Ohio State shows that me
chanical harvesting that reduces
labor time can be done at a rea
sonable cost for larger growers.
So now is a good time to look
into berry production, Funt said.
A new publication from Ohio
State University Extension
called “Brambles-Production,
Management and Marketing,”
Bulletin 782, contains this infor
mation and more. The bulletin
explains the various cultural
management techniques neces
sary for a successful raspberry,
blackberry or other type of
bramble enterprise, Funt said.
The bulletin is a complete
source of information in an
easy-to-read text with many
full-color pictures that will help
Moves To
practicing risk management or
subsidized crop insurance and
permitting livestock coverage.
“We are very pleased to see
the Senate has finally passed
crop insurance reform,” said
NFU President Leland Swen
son. “While crop insurance
cannot replace an effective farm
safety net, it is a must for pro
ducers who have to routinely
cope with production losses
beyond their control. We hope a
conference committee will be
appointed quickly in order to
finish work on this important
legislation.”
The U.S. House of Represent
atives passed a similar bill last
year. Differences between the
two bills will now be reconciled
by a House-Senate conference
committee.
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growers make important
preproduction decisions, he
said. Production economics, re
frigeration costs and rates of
return for different marketing
systems are also discussed.
Most raspberry and black
berry growers are looking for a
12 percent to 14 percent rate of
return on their investment over
the 12-year productive life of
their berry plants, and with cur
rent berry prices that should be
attainable, depending on yield,
Funt said.
In Ohio, raspberries and
blackberries average about 1,500
to 1,700 pounds per acres per
year. Profitable pick-your-own
prices for most growers are from
$1.20 to $1.70 per pound de
pending on when the berries
ripen. Hand-harvested berries
require $1 to $l.lO more than
the pick-your-own selling price
to gain an equal profit.
“If people are interested in
growing raspberries or blackber
ries, before they enter the busi
ness they need to gather some
information and make some
critical biological, technological
and economic decisions,” Funt
said. “What type of cultivar will
you raise, what equipment
might be reasonable and what
rate of return would you like on
your investment? The bulletin
provides information that helps
people answer those questions.”
A grower typically has to
invest $5,000 to $6,000 per acre
for a 2-acre to 5-acre operation
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Betts Equipment
3139 Windy Bush Road.Rt 232
New Hope, PA 18938
215-598-7501
Hoober, Inc.
Mam Street
Intercourse, PA 17534
717-768-8231
Hoober, Inc.
East Main Street
McAlisferville, PA 17049
717-463-2191
Deerfield Ag &
Turf Center, Inc.
RR 2 Box 212
Watsontown, PA 17777
570-538-3557
Detlan Equipment. Inc
141 East Mam St
Silverdale, PA 18962
215-257-5177
Thomas L. Dunlap
Rt 220, Mam St Exit
Jersey Shore, PA 17740
570-398-1391
to get started
“As a perennial fruit crop,
you’ll put a lot of money up
front in the first year or two and
get considerable returns in years
three through 12, ‘ he said.
“Growers need to determine if
they can afford that initial in
vestment and decide if they
want to take the risk.”
Planting, pruning and picking
berries also requires a lot of
labor. Proper management of a
berry patch often takes about
350 hours of labor a year, Funt
said.
“Berries have to fit into the
current farm operation,” he
said. “One member of the family
may be fully committed, but is
the rest of the family willing to
give up the summer vacation
season and put time into har
vesting berries?”
Small or medium-sized farms
with time available for proper
management are best suited to
growing berries. These farms
usually have smaller fields, so
they spend less time harvesting
other crops, Funt said. Most ber
ries in Ohio are currently grown
east of Interstate 71 and along
Lake Erie.
Other things to consider
before starting a berry operation
are possible sources of hired
labor for harvesting, refrigera
tion after harvest and potential
markets where berries can be
sold quickly. Berries are perish
able and holding them more
than a day or two after picking
i
Eckroth Bros Farm Equip
Rd 2, Box 24A
New Rmgold, PA 17960
570-943-2131
Eckroth Equipment Co.
4910 Kernsville Rd
Oretield, PA 18069
610-366-2095
Hines Equipment
RT 220, Belwood, PA
814-742-8171
Keller Brothers
R 7 Box 405
Lebanon, PA 17042
717-949-6501
1950 Fruitville Pike
Lancaster, PA 17601
717-569-2500
M.S.Yearsley & Sons
West Chester, PA
610-696-2990
Pikeville Equipment Inc
RD 2, Oysferdale Road
Oley, PA 19547
610-927-6277
becomes a problem, Font said.
The creation of “Brambles
Production, Management and
Marketing” is part of the Ohio
Berry Strategic Plan developed
by the Ohio Farm Bureau, Ohio
Fruit Growers Society, the Ohio
State University’s department of
horticulture and crop science,
the Ohio State University Cen
ters at Piketon and the Ohio De
partment of Agriculture. The
plan calls for an organized ex
pansion of the Ohio berry indus
try to meet the demands of the
fresh market and opportunities
arising in new markets, Funt
said.
The brambles bulletin was
written by members of Ohio
State University Extension’s
Ohio Small Fruit Team and was
supported by Ohio growers
through various research grants
from the Ohio Small Fruit and
Vegetable Research Foundation
and the Ohio Department of Ag
riculture. The facts in the publi
cation are based on years of
research done in Ohio, he said.
The bulletin costs $6.50 and
can be purchased at county of
fices of Ohio State University
Extension. Growers outside of
Ohio can contact Ohio State
University Extension Media
Distribution by phone, at (614)
292-1607, or e-mail Pubs@pos
toffice.ag.ohio-state.edu to
receive the bulletin by mail. Or
dering by mail will cost $lO
$6.50 plus $3.50 for shipping
and handling.
iandDride.com
Stoltzfus Farm Service
Cochranville, PA
610-593-2407
Stouffer Bros Inc.
1066 Lincoln Way West
Chambersburg, PA 17201
717-263-8424
New Jersey
Rodio Tractor Sales
North White Horse Pike
Hammonton, N J 08037
609-561-0141
Warren County Service
Center
228 Route 94, Blairtown, N J
908-362-6916
Frank Rymon
& Sons, Inc.
RD 3, Box 355
Washington, N J 07882
908-689-1464