Southern Highbush Blueberries - Increasing Crop Diversification in Calhoun County

Summary

Historically, growers in Calhoun County have predominately produced traditional row crops such as peanuts, cotton, corn, and small grains to generate the farm income for family farms. Calhoun County also has limited production of poultry, cattle, forest products, and muscadine grapes, but the majority of farm income is from traditional row crops. Due to increasing production costs and lower commodity prices, the net farm income and the population has declined in recent years. These combined factors have created the need for farmers to find ways to diversify their operations with new crops to increase net farm income and generate additional jobs within the county. In 2018, some growers in Calhoun County asked UGA Extension to provide education and resources in order for them to make the best management and production decisions. Blueberries are a proven crop in East Georgia, and commercial blueberry production has been a large economic driver in that part of the State for many years. In consultation with local growers, Calhoun County Extension began Blueberry educational programs in 2018 with producers who expressed interest in diversifying their farm production. Due to these efforts, blueberry production in Calhoun County began in 2019 with additional acreage planted in the fall of 2020.

Situation

In an attempt to address the declining net farm income and population in Calhoun County, farmers turned to University of Georgia Extension for help. Studying the University of Georgia crop comparison budgets, blueberry production appeared to have the greatest potential to make a profit. Blueberries have been grown in East Georgia for many years, but there was very limited blueberry production in Southwest Georgia. This was mainly due to the high cost of establishment and production, as well as the lack of nearby processing facilities. Southwest Georgia did have a competitive advantage with large established irrigation wells that were used in row crop production that could be used as frost protection for the blueberry crop. In the past, if blueberries were to be grown in Calhoun County, they would have to be delivered over 150 miles away to Alma, Georgia, every day for at least 30-45 days. Hauling a blueberry crop this distance was not sustainable until a blueberry processing facility was built in neighboring Baker County in 2019. Once the processing facility began operations, the first twelve acres of blueberries were planted in Calhoun County.

Response

In 2019, the first twelve acres of blueberries were planted in Calhoun County. The cost to establish an acre of Southern Highbush Blueberries with frost protection was approximately $30,000 per acre. In 2020, blueberry production in Calhoun County increased now with two farmers growing 24 acres of established blueberry production. These growers are planning to increase acreage within the next 2-3 years, and additional growers have expressed interest in beginning production as well. Beginning in 2018, the Calhoun County Ag Agent collaborated with UGA Extension Baker County to plan grower field days in order to visit existing sites and to educate growers on commercial blueberry production. The Calhoun County Ag Agent also arranged for various UGA Extension Specialists to attend these meetings and field days in order to present research and data to help these growers make the best possible decisions.

Impact

In 2018, some growers approached the Ag Agent in Calhoun County to provide education and resources in order to make crop diversification decisions. Since that night, commercial blueberry production is now underway with two growers planting over 12 acres each with plans for future expansion. Commercial blueberry production can be extremely expensive with an average cost of $30,000 per acre to establish. At peak production, commercial blueberry growers can sell on average 8,000 pounds per acre at a price of $2.50 per pound, or $20,000 per acre. Over the years, these existing 24 acres will provide an approximate Farm Gate value of around $500,000 per year to Calhoun County. In 2020, two joint blueberry grower field days were held in conjunction with Baker County Extension. These field days enabled growers from both counties to visit eight different blueberry farms, as well as tour the processing facility in Baker County. These meetings were attended by roughly 20 growers and featured presentations on general agronomy, weed control, pest management, fertility, and other topics. Three UGA Extension Specialists provided presentations as well as the Area Blueberry Agent. Because of these educational efforts by UGA Extension, blueberry growers in Calhoun County now have the resources and the confidence to successfully diversity their operations with blueberry production. Because of these efforts, blueberries with be a viable crop in Calhoun County for many years to come. University of Georgia Calhoun County Extension is a trusted resource for unbiased, educational resources to increase the standard of living in rural Georgia.

State Issue

Plant Production

Details

• Year: 2020
• Geographic Scope: County
• County: Calhoun
• Location: College Station, Athens
• Program Areas:
  • Agriculture & Natural Resources