There used to be a high demand for Michigan strawberries, but California competition makes it exceedingly difficult to compete in the national marketplace. 

The M.S.U. (Michigan State University) extension offers an extensive number of workshops for local schools, and meetings run from the beginning of the growing season through the winter season.  We organize one or two meetings per week, in some format or another.  During the winter months, we conduct two to four day-intensive workshops for local schools.  At times, we participate in community functions at state conferences.  We also benefit from interaction with other states, but mainly on growers in this area.  In December, we sponsor the Agricultural and Fruit and Marketing Expos, basically a continuation of the Michigan Horticultural Society meetings founded several decades ago.

More recently, Michigan State University and the Michigan Horticultural Society have joined forces.  Faculty members or extension agents organize educational sessions at the annual meeting, most based on what growers perceive as their needs and what the agents or specialists can come up with to address those issues.  Large meetings consist of several themes usually going on at the same time, most depending on the topics:  Cherries, apples, farm marketing, etc.

  In their heyday, Haven peaches had a great impact on the growing community and the peach-growing industry.  When Stanley Johnston developed the Haven varieties, it lengthened the growing season, but that type of work was done about forty years ago, and that’s an extremely long time for varieties.  It is truly amazing that we still grow some of the Haven varieties at all.  Genetic material is still used in our operations today.  Cresthaven serves as one example of this process because of its nice fruit and eating characteristics but, because of color issues, it offers no real market value.  In our work here, past experiments play a major role in the development of future projects.

Jim Hancock of Michigan State University handles our blueberry breeding program, continuing on earlier work completed by Stanley Johnston.  Johnston developed modern cultivating techniques for several blueberry varieties.  Over the past fifteen years, Hancock has worked to extend the season and produce a better quality fruit.  He experiments with germplasms from South America , notably from Chile , to produce a more weather-resistant type.

A few growers realized the benefits of the South Haven station and sought experimental material for their farms.  Over time, we developed breeding programs that growers adopted, many of which exist today.  Both the South Haven and M.S.U. (Michigan State University) stations thrive in the midst of the grower communities.  We cannot leave the station without crossing over into a fruit operation.  This relationship works both ways, and I feel engaged with the grower community at all times.

Several means of communication allow us to remain in touch with new growers.  We offer workshops that educate the community on the complexities of fruit farming.  Growers in our immediate community [an eleven county region in the southwest], attend the same meetings.  We maintain one-on-one type of relationships, either in the hallway or in a lecture hall.  Annual reports keep farmers informed of current affairs, Web sites also net results, as does the popular media, local newspapers, or grower magazines.  I conduct two radio broadcasts per week and pass on pertinent results based on the time of year or the ones I think benefit growers most. 

HOME / ONLINE EXHIBIT / TEACHER RESOURCES / LINKS / SITE INDEX

WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY / FT. MIAMI HERITAGE SOCIETY OF MICHIGAN