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market-farming - [Market-farming] Re: small fruit in northeast

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  • From: "Ron Thiessen" <thiessenfarms AT sprint.ca>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] Re: small fruit in northeast
  • Date: Sun, 8 Dec 2002 17:51:59 -0500

We grow blackberries, as well as raspberries, red & black currants.
Our blackberries are Chester (available through www.noursefarms.com) and
Hull,
both of which are thornless - while easier to work with, they are less sweet
and less winterhardy than the thorny varieties. We are zone 6 - colder areas
should hook the new growth along the ground in summer and then cover with
straw for the winter. In spring uncover, and tie the canes on to wires.
We have about 200 plants only, but grossed around $21,000 this past season -
sold mainly at farmers' markets, some u-pick, and to 1 local restaurant.
Blackberries are by far our most profitable crop. (we also grow peaches,
cherries, plums, pears, nectarines...)
In the height of the season we often have more than we can sell. These we
squeeze through a tomato squeezer fitted with a berry screen. It gives a
nice thick seedless juice which we freeze. In winter we make blackberry
syrup (juice and some sugar only) which sells quite well at market. This
year we also sold blackberry concentrate that we produced in a steamer. It
also sold okay since it has no preservatives of any kind. However it wasn't
too profitable for us. Blackberry jam and jelly is also popular. We make a
blackberry barbeque sauce for ourselves which is incredible ( but does not
sell good).
We have been growing blackberries for about 10 years - so far no pest or
disease problems at all.

Ron Thiessen






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