Still time to register for beginning apple growers school
There is still time to enroll in the Midwest School for Beginning Apple Growers, a three-day workshop for people wanting to start an orchard business. The class will be offered March 4-6, 2011 on the UW-Madison campus.
If you are starting or considering starting an orchard business—no matter what scale—this class will give you the skills and information
you need to avoid risk and meet your goals.
Now in its second year, this unique program combines the expertise of
seasoned growers and university faculty. Primary instructors will be
Bob Barthel of Barthel Fruit Farm in Mequon, Tom Griffith of Door
Creek Orchard in Cottage Grove and Jackie Hoch of Hoch Orchard and
Gardens in LaCrescent, Minn. Joining them will be UW–Madison fruit
specialists Patricia McManus and Rebecca Harbut.
The school will emphasize sustainable and organic production methods
including integrated pest management strategies, as well as risk
management and business planning. The course also offers participants
a great opportunity to network with others who share their interest in
making a business out of growing and selling apples.
The Midwest School for Beginning Apple Growers is sponsored by the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems and the Wisconsin Apple Growers Association, and is open to the public. Registration for the program costs $300.
For more information, contact John Hendrickson at (608) 265-3704 or jhendric@wisc.edu, or visit the CIAS web site: www.cias.wisc.edu.