Market Farming

[Steve Diver <steved AT ncat.org>]

For the Arkansas blackberry varieties, there are 2-3 dozen
nurseries in the following list.

Shawnee is an excellent thorny variety, but the patent has
expired so it is not listed.  But many of these nurseries should
carry Shawnee as well.

Licensed Propagators for University of Arkansas Patented Blackberry 
Cultivars
http://www.aragriculture.org/horticulture/fruits_nuts/Blackberries/licensedprop.asp

Try the nurseries near Mountainburg, AR and Winslow, AR.

Fyi, we just had our AR-OK horticultural growers conference
on Jan. 14-15th.   I heard about one grower in Arkansas who
has 200 acres of blackberries.  His primary business is emergency
salvage for train wrecks.  So he has to keep a large crew of
laborers and skilled staff on hand; mainly, Hispanic workers.
Thus, he got into the blackberry business to keep them
employed in off periods.

That was neat to read Willie McKennie's desciption of alternate
mowing. The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture adopted this
method on about 4 acres of blackberries in the mid-80s.  It cuts
down total yield, but you reduce hand pruning labor and it's a
strategy for weed control and cane borer control.  

Also see:

Organic Culture of Bramble Fruits
http://www.attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/bramble.html

The Brazos blackberry, an older variety from Texas A&M,
is another good variety for Texas and the South.


Regards,

Steve Diver
http://www.attra.ncat.org