Berry Grower

Blake Cothron is an organic farmer, nurseryman, writer, musician, and speaker, with over 20 years' experience in organic agriculture, botany, horticulture, and growing food. He is the co-owner and co-operator of Peaceful Heritage Nursery, a 4-acre USDA Certified Organic research farm, orchard, and edible plant nursery. Author of Pawpaws: The Complete Growing and Marketing Guide, he has also written for Permaculture Design magazine and various online publications. Blake has an educational blog and YouTube channel devoted to fruit growing, and he is an educator with the Organic Association of Kentucky. He divides his time between farming, research, writing, beekeeping, gardening, travel, yoga, meditation, and being a husband and father in beautiful Kentucky.

"Whether you're looking to grow for your family, or for production (or anywhere in between), this resource is absolutely stacked with actionable insights that you can utilize. Blake has done an amazing job at compiling an enormous amount of information into an easy to follow resource that anyone can use."— Rob Avis, PEng, co-author, Building Your Permaculture Property and Essential Rainwater Harvesting"Blake covers everything from soup to nuts, figuratively, in growing these fruits in various settings, for home use or markets. A number of the fruits he mentions are not yet well-known, but are worth growing."— Lee Reich, PhD, author, Growing Figs in Cold Climates and The Ever Curious Gardener"The Berry Grower is a terrific resource for anyone getting into small fruit production or those looking to diversify their crops. It is loaded with helpful background, tips, tricks, and recommendations that will benefit small fruit growers of any scale or level of experience!"— Dan Dalton, PASA Sustainable Agriculture"Blake uses 20 years' experience growing berries and other small fruits to provide valuable practical, effective, up-to-date information (including addressing climate chaos) to encourage more localized and resilient organic food production, garden by garden."— Pam Dawling, author, The Year-Round Hoophouse and Sustainable Market Farming"I've cracked open your book and like what I'm seeing so far!"— The late, great Michael Phillips, author, The Holistic Orchard and The Apple Grower

• PrefacePART 1: THE BASICS1. Why Small Scale, Small Fruits? — Why small fruit growing? — How and where to start? — Understanding current climate challenges — Small fruits to the rescue — Why micro fruit farming? — Limitations of small fruit growing — Maximize profits by being the workforce— The future of small and micro farming2. 21st Century Strategic Planning— Planning it out — How to research — Evaluating agricultural profit forecasts — Understanding your bioregion and regional climate — Choosing cultivars — How many plants?— Pollination3. Sourcing Plants and Navigating the 21st Century Nursery Scene — Sourcing plants and plant material — Sources to avoid — Organic or conventional? — Navigating the nursery scene — Quality nurseries4. Creating Beds — Creating space for small fruits to thrive — Mechanical tillage — No-till options — Spacing — Managing walkways — Stale bedding — Planting the beds — Planting in rows— Cover cropping5. Managing Soil Fertility Organically — Practical considerations — Soluble and insoluble organic fertilizers — Animal-product based fertilizers — Vegan plant-based fertilizers — Mineral fertilizers — Compost and manures — Consider the impacts — Applying organic fertilizers— Unlocking latent soil fertility6. Planting Successfully — Handling and inspecting nursery stock — Storing dormant plants — Effectively handling cuttings — Pre-planting preparations — Proper planting practices— Post-planting care7. Organic Weed Management— Using permanent grass cover — Mulch — Landscape fabric — Flame weeding — Plant Guilds8. Tools of the Trade 9. Maintenance, Protection, and Organic Pest Control — Integrated Pest Management (IPM) — Insect management — Common animal pests — Frost protection PART 2: GETTING TO KNOW YOUR FRUIT ALLIES10. Blackberries — Types of modern blackberries — Site considerations — Cultivation — Fertilizing — Mulch and irrigation — Pests/Diseases/Challenges — Harvest — Marketing— Recommended cultivars11. Blueberries — Species — Cultivation — Planting — Weed control — Irrigation — Pruning — Pests/Diseases/Challenges — Cultivars (by region)— Harvesting and marketing12. Raspberries — Species — Cultivation — Irrigation — Pruning — Thinning — Trellising — Mulch— Propagation — Pests/Diseases/Challenges — Marketing— Cultivars13. Strawberries— Cultivation — Growing Methods — Thinning — Planting — Irrigation — Harvesting — Marketing — Pests/Diseases/Challenges— Cultivars14. Juneberries — Cultivation — Best species by region — Irrigation — Pests/Diseases/Challenges — Marketing— Cultivars15. Muscadine Grapes — Cultivation — Irrigation — Pollination — Pests and diseases — Marketing— Cultivars16. Mulberries — Species of mulberries — Cultivation — Irrigation — Potential for commercial production — Harvesting — Pests/Diseases/Challenges — Marketing— The future of mulberries— Recommended cultivars17. Gooseberries— Cultivation — Irrigation — Pests and diseases — Harvesting — Marketing— Recommended cultivars18. Currants— Cultivation — Irrigation — Pests and diseases — Harvesting — Marketing— Cultivars19. Figs — Cultivation — Cold region (USDA zones 5–7) — Understanding high tunnel fig growing — Warm region (USDA zones 8–10) — Harvesting — Marketing — Pests and diseases— Cultivars20. Tomatoes— Cultivation — Pests and diseases — Irrigation — Marketing— Cultivars21. Other Small Fruits Worthy of Consideration ...Or Not — Aronia (Aronia melanocarpa) — Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata) and Goumi (Elaeagnus multiflora) — Bush and Nanking Cherries — Kiwiberry (Actinidia arguta) — Cactus Fruits — Cornelian Cherry (Cornus mas) — Hardy Passionfruit (Passiflora incarnata) — Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis) — Feijoa (Acca sellowiana) — Goji (Lycium barbarum) — Hybrid Cane Berries — Rosehips — Seaberry/sea buckthorn(Hippophae rhamnoides) — Munson Grapes — Che (Maclura tricuspidata) — Honeyberry (Lonicera caerulea)PART 3: HARVESTING, MARKETING, AND THE FUTURE22. Harvesting and Post-Harvesting— Harvest efficiency— Protecting, storing, and chilling23. Market Planning and Strategies— Direct marketing methods24. The Future of Small Fruit Growing— Climate change and fruit growing— Rescuing the genetic pool by selecting your own local cultivars25. Interviews with Successful Small Fruit Market Growers 26. Conclusion Appendix: Jivamritam Notes Resources Index About the Author About New Society Publishers