Rutgers Cooperative Extension Offers Workshops for Beginning Farmers

From Rutgers University Cooperative Extension:

Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County, NJ is offering a “Plasticulture Strawberries” workshop on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 from 5:30 to 8 p.m., rain or shine located at 310 Milltown Rd., Bridgewater. The class is the first to be offered in the new Ultra-Niche Crops Series of workshops. The cost for this workshop is $15 and includes a lite supper at 5:30 p.m., followed by the program at 6 p.m. and light refreshments at the conclusion of the workshop. To register for this workshop, go to Eventbrite link: http://tinyurl.com/UNC2016stra...

Ultra Niche Crops are exceptionally high value crops that can be grown on small acreage. Plasticulture strawberries are an annual system where plants are grown on raised beds covered with black plastic mulch. Attendees will learn how to make more money with less land and how to grow and market their crop. The advantages of plasticulture strawberries include: earlier strawberry harvests, higher yields, larger fruit size, and higher quality fruit. “Our goal for this project is to help the next generation of farmers achieve both crop and financial success and also assist existing farmers in improving their profitability,” said Nick Polinan, Rutgers Agricultural and Resource Management Agent for Somerset County.

The series, sponsored by a grant from the USDA-NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, will be offered at Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Somerset County at 310 Milltown Rd., Bridgewater, as well as, at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County, and the Rutgers EcoComplex in Burlington County.

For more information call Jenny Carleo, Agricultural Agent at (609) 465-5115 or email Jennifer Matthews at jmatthews@aesop.rutgers.edu. To join the mailing list for information on future classes, go to www.tinyurl.com/UNC2016.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County helps both youth and adults improve their knowledge and skills, enhance their quality of life, and resolve problems in areas of food, nutrition, health and wellness; food safety; agriculture; environmental and natural resource management; and youth development. This is accomplished through the use of science-based knowledge and university research. Rutgers Cooperative Extension is an education organization within the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and is an equal opportunity program provider and employer.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s education programs are offered to all without regard to race, religion, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability.

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