West Virginia State University (WVSU) Extension Service will host a two-day series of workshops to help farmers increase production of small fruits such as grapes and strawberries Jan. 28-29 at the Fruits of Labor Café and Bakery in Rainelle. The free workshops are designed for both small and large-scale growers. “Small fruit production has the potential to be huge for West Virginia agriculture due to the diversity of locations for growing,” said WVSU Extension Agent Brad Cochran. “This series of workshops will teach production basics, covering everything from site selection to harvesting.” The full schedule of workshops is as follows. Wednesday, Jan. 28, 1-2:30 p.m. - Brambles (blackberries/raspberries) Wednesday, Jan. 28, 3-4:30 p.m. - Grapes Thursday, Jan. 29, 9-10:30 a.m. - Strawberries Thursday, Jan. 29, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Blueberries Thursday, Jan. 29, 1:30-3 p.m. - Fruit Trees The workshops are funded through a Specialty Crops Block Grant from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and are the latest in a series of collaborations with Fruits of Labor, Inc. “We are excited and pleased to host the small fruits workshops with WVSU Extension Service,” said Tammy Jordan, president of Fruits of Labor, Inc., which offers community culinary and agriculture training programs in addition to the café and bakery. “This is a great opportunity for those interested in agriculture to benefit from free training in our region.” In addition to the workshops, WVSU Extension Service has partnered with Fruits of Labor, Inc., on initiatives relating to nutrition education, urban farm development and the creation of an orchard for additional agriculture training workshops. To register, contact Brad Cochran at 304-541-3301 or bcochran2@wvstateu.edu. Fruits of Labor Café and Bakery is located at 23 Main Street in Rainelle.
