SFGA Conference Seeks to Further The Prairie Fruit Industry

Source: Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food

“Welcome to our ‘An Industry in Motion’ conference,” says the invitation brochure. “Whether you currently own an established operation or are just now looking into opportunities in the fruit industry, this conference offers something for you.”

“You can make money growing fruit in Saskatchewan," says Charon Blakley of the Saskatchewan Fruit Growers Association (SFGA). "That is partly what we wish to convey to participants on January 13 and 14 in Saskatoon at our annual conference during Crop Production Week. With today's focus on health and the importance of a healthy diet, we have a huge potential in Saskatchewan. The cleanliness of our environment compared to that of other parts of the world is also a big advantage.”

The SFGA event is designed to set the stage for the future of the fruit industry, and the agenda is loaded with topics ranging from beginner interests to very advanced issues.

Here is a sample…

Brian Goldsworthy of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in St. John's, Newfoundland, and Neri Vautour of the Wild Blueberry Association of North America (WBANA) will talk about the history of WBANA, its role in promoting the consumption and use of wild blueberries by the public and by the food and beverage industry, and how this was fostered to help growers and processors achieve their marketing objectives.

“What can we learn from the WBANA?" asks Blakley rhetorically. "What steps does the prairie fruit industry need to take for further development? Where do we start? Where do we want to go? How do we get there? These are questions Scott Wright, the Director of the Crop Development Branch at Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, will help answer as he facilitates an interactive workshop to co-operatively brainstorm these and other questions.”

Joe Novak, a crop development analyst at SAF, has been working on developing tools and resources to help producers determine their own profit levels and to work on enterprise analysis as well as breakeven yields and prices. He is a strong promoter of the economic potential of Saskatchewan-grown fruit, according to Blakley.

Another presenter, Karen Tanino of the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, will address how to increase prairie fruit production for domestic and export purposes. Her presentation will also cover food issues in general.

Arne Strom of Sherwood Forest Orchard and Tyler Weisbrod of Loon Creek Saskatoons will share some of the things they learned when they attended the International Food Exhibition in London recently.

“This presentation will ask us if fruit growers can meet the challenges and expectations of international buyers,” explains Blakley, “and, at the same time, achieve the potentially high rewards available in the export market for saskatoon berries.”

Conference participants will be updated on the programs and services being offered through the Renewal initiative. It includes programs ranging from the Canadian Farm Business Advisory Services to the Canadian Agricultural Skills Service.

On Saturday, Bob Bors, Rick Sawatzky, and Linda Matthews from the Fruit Program at the University of Saskatchewan will each host sessions at the conference to share their expertise on fruit processing, plum, hazelnuts, haskap and cherries. Presentations will provide an introduction to these crops from a prairie perspective, covering the best varieties to grow, University of Saskatchewan research on these crops and some of the key growing requirements.

In addition, SAFFruit Development Specialist Clarence Peters will talk about apples and saskatoons, and he covers the basic growing how-tos— including markets, site selection and development, cultural requirements, and pest management. The importance of pruning to maintaining the health, productivity, and longevity of the orchard will also be stressed.

Blakley emphasizes the importance of the networking aspects of the conference. “You can learn a lot from other people who face the same challenges as you as a grower.”

The SFGA “An Industry in Motion” conference takes place at the Heritage Inn. To register, call (306) 743-5333.

For more information, contact:

Charon Blakley
Secretary-Treasurer
Saskatchewan Fruit Growers Association
(306) 743-5333
http://saskfruit.com/

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