Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County Agricultural and Resource Management Program is offering the workshop Plasticulture Strawberries on Wednesday, September 28, 2016 from 5:30 to 8 p.m., rain or shine, at Rutgers Cooperative Extension, 355 Courthouse - South Dennis Road, Cape May Court House, New Jersey. The workshop is the first to be offered in the new Ultra-Niche Crops Series of workshops. The series, sponsored by a grant from the USDA-NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, will be offered at Rutgers Cooperative Extension in Cape May County and at two other locations in the State of New Jersey.

Ultra-Niche Crops are exceptionally high value crops that can be grown on small acreage. Plasticulture strawberries is when plants are grown on raised beds covered with black plastic. Farmers will learn how to make more money with less land and how to grow, market and sell plasticulture strawberries. The advantages of plasticulture strawberries include: earlier strawberry harvests, higher yields, larger fruit size, and higher quality fruit. “Our goal for this project is to help the next generation of farmers achieve both crop and financial success and also assist existing farmers to maintain their operations,” said Jenny S. Carleo, Rutgers Agricultural and Resource Management Agent for Cape May County.

The cost for this workshop is $15 and includes a lite supper at 5:30 p.m., followed by the program at 6 p.m. For more information call Jenny Carleo, Agricultural Agent at (609) 465-5115 or email Jennifer Matthews at jmatthews@aesop.rutgers.edu. To register for this workshop, go to Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ultra-niche-crops-plasticulture-strawberries-tickets-26609094518. To join the mailing list for information on future classes, go to www.tinyurl.com/UNC2016.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County helps both youth and adults improve their knowledge and skills, enhance their quality of life, and resolve problems in areas of food, nutrition, health and wellness; food safety; agriculture; environmental and natural resource management; and youth development. This is accomplished through the use of science-based knowledge and university research. Rutgers Cooperative Extension is an education organization within the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and is an equal opportunity program provider and employer.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension’s education programs are offered to all without regard to race, religion, color, age, national origin, gender, sexual orientation or disability.