Tilth Conference

Conference Schedule

Conference Schedule

Forty Years of Growing Organic Berries

  • Date: Tuesday, November 17
  • Time: 4:00-5:15 p.m.
  • Speaker: Anne Schwartz, Blue Heron Farm
  • Track: Track 3

This workshop will focus on organic production of top quality raspberries and blueberries. We will emphasize lessons learned from soil preparation to post harvest handling as well as share details on teaching people how to pick, anticipating disease, insect challenges and weed management systems, and what products are allowed in organic production. We have worked closely with WSU Small Fruit research faculty over the years and will touch on the support we garnered from those relationships. Additionally, this workshop will cover building your market, key aspects to fertilizing, irrigation, managing sun and heat stress and identifying challenges before you plant.

Anne’s farm is in Eastern Skagit Valley and she will share key aspects of their unique weather patterns and how that impacts their decisions.

Habrá servicio de interpretación al español disponible para esta sesión.

About the Speaker

  • Anne Schwartz

    Blue Heron Farm

    Anne Schwartz lives and farms in Rockport in Eastern Skagit Valley. Blue Heron Farm produces certified organic berries marketed regionally and in Mt Vernon at the Skagit Food Coop.  Anne participated in the development of organic certification laws and regulatory development at the state and national levels for over 25 years.  Anne was an active advocate in the creation of the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR), at WSU, and has served on their Advisory Council since 1989. For several years she has served as an Advisory Board member for several of the Deans of the College of Agriculture, Human and Natural Resources at WSU- currently Dr Raj Khosla. She served on the Boards of Tilth Producers and Tilth Alliance for many years. Her focus now is to advocate for research and public policy that supports organic agriculture through the creation of and as a Governing Council member of the Coalition for Organic and Regenerative Agriculture (CORA).