Situation

In Yadkin County, there is a mixture of homeowners and commercial growers who grow blueberries. According to the 2022 Census of Agriculture, Yadkin County ranks 35th out of 95 producing counties in the state for producing fruits and berries. In the United States, the county is ranked 622 out of 2,711. In Yadkin County, fruits and berries contribute to $934 out of $48,274 in crop sales. North Carolina ranks 7th nationally in blueberry production. For all growers, it is important for them to know how to properly manage their plantings from soil management to proper pruning.

Response

A blueberry pruning workshop was held at a local blueberry farm, Enon Meadows Farm, in East Bend, NC. Homeowners and commercial growers were invited to participate. Craig Mauney, Area Specialized Agent - Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Production, led the workshop by teaching the participants about the four steps to proper pruning. Farm owners at Enon Meadows Farm also discussed pests and diseases that may be found on the blueberry planting or out in the field. We then moved into the field where Mauney progressed through the four steps with the participants to give them an in-field example. After the demonstration, participants were able to put into practice the four proper steps of blueberry pruning that they learned from Mauney. This gave participants adequate time for Mauney and Payne to watch and assist where they had questions while putting their learning into practice.

Results

This blueberry workshop resulted in 32 participants whether home growers or commercial blueberry growers learning proper pruning techniques. Participants were very satisfied with the relevance of information, presentation quality, knowledge of instructors, training facility, and overall quality of the workshop. Before the workshop, participants had very low to moderate knowledge about growing and pruning blueberries. After the workshop, participants evaluated they had exceptional higher knowledge. 52% of participants responded that they will plant more blueberry bushes. 75% of participants responded they will apply proper pruning techniques to their blueberry plantings with 25% already doing this. 88% of participants believed the knowledge gained at this workshop will save them money from $25 up to over $100. A participant responded what they liked most about the workshop was "the amount of information presented about blueberries, i.e. not just pruning." Other participants responded that they liked the hands-on pruning demonstration and practice.

County: Yadkin

Team Members: Kellee Payne (Yadkin) and Craig Mauney (Henderson)

Objective: Plant Production Systems