The
Berry DisPatch
Newsletter of the Wisconsin
Berry Growers Association
OCTOBER, 2004
ITHACA, N.Y. - Dr. Marvin
Pritts from the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at
Cornell University has developed a system of growing winter raspberries in
northern climates. First
you might ask, why would you want to and here’s the response:
Little to no domestic competition
Retail price is between $3 and $6 per half pint
Greenhouses are often empty between December and April
Farm labor is generally underutilized in winter
Raspberries grow best at cool temperatures
Raspberries do not require supplemental light to
produce fruit
Raspberries can be produced in greenhouses without
pesticides
They can be harvested close to market at the peak of
flavor
Quality is superb!
Except in late spring and
summer, the raspberries found in our grocery stores are mostly grown in Central
and South America. Quality is usually poor and the price is high. Not so in
greenhouse production.
Cornell’s
"Greenhouse Raspberry Production Guide" says, "The grower is able
to achieve a high level of quality because the fruit never becomes wet from rain
or irrigation, thus greatly reducing the instance of fruit-rotting infections,
and the fruit can be harvested at the peak of ripeness for optimum flavor."
If you would like to
learn more about winter raspberry production, check out the website at www.hort.cornell.edu/department/faculty/pritts/greenhouse/frontpage.htm