Plant City, Fla.-based strawberry and blueberry grower-shipper Wish Farms has begun to market Florida blueberries from its new Misty Organics farm in Alturas, Fla., said Nick Wishnatzki, marketing projects manager.
“As South American blueberry production starts falling off in late February, supply can be tight until the North American production ramps up in April,” Wishnatzki said.
“Misty Organics hopes to fill the gap during that historically challenging window of time.”
The 20-acre farm, on a south-facing slope that overlooks a lakefront, is ideally situated for organic production, he said.
“This geographical arrangement, coupled with high tunnels, creates a greenhouse effect,” Wishnatzki said.
“The high tunnels not only provide freeze protection for the crop, they also provide higher growing temperatures during cooler periods. The cover also protects the crop from rain, hail and general moisture.”
Misty Organics’ entire crop is grown in containers, which allows for spatial flexibility, Wishnatzki said.
“As a result, there are more than twice the number of plants per acre than a typical blueberry farm,” he said. “Additionally, the farm showcases high-tech soil moisture sensors and drip irrigation that drastically reduces water usage.”
16/05/2018
