WARSAW — The Purdue School for Back Yard Fruit Growers will take growers through “New Adventures in Backyard Fruit Production” in a series that offers opportunities to learn about modern fruit production practices.

The school will take place from 2 – 4 p.m. on March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31. The program will be held at the Purdue Extension Kosciusko County office at 202 W. Main Street in Warsaw using Webinar broadcasts. Participants also have the option to access the sessions from home via a high-speed Internet connection.

Each day will feature a two-hour session that covers a topic important to fruit growers. The agenda includes:

• March 3 – Session 1: Assessing personal goals and learning how and where to begin fruit production.
• March 10 – Session 2: Growing tree fruit such as apples, pears and peaches.
• March 17 – Session 3: Growing small fruit such as grapes, strawberries, red and black raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries.
• March 24 – Session 4: Overview of crop protection using pest management and discussion of organic fruit production.
• March 31 – Session 5: Harvest, storage, preservation and use of fruit

Participants also will hear advice from successful fruit growers and Purdue Extension Specialists and educators. This series will be especially beneficial for beginning growers. The school also will provide information for more experienced growers, such as varieties of fruit available for Indiana culture and pest control considerations. Private applicator pesticide applicator credits will be available for the March 24 session.

Registration is $25 per person for all sessions or $10 per person for an individual session. The fee includes all handouts and resource materials. Registration deadline is Wednesday, March 1.

For more information regarding program content, available viewing sites or how to register, contact your county Purdue Extension office at (574) 372-2340 or email Kelly Heckaman at [email protected]. A full brochure is available here.