Some think avocados, hops or even mulberries could be the future crops of Sacramento Valley’s farming. This option was questioned by academic experts and interested participants at a meeting titled ‘New Frontiers in Sacramento Valley Farming’.
The event, organized by the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources and held last week in Woodland, brought together researchers from across the UC system to discuss the potential for five novel perennial crops: avocados, blueberries, raspberries, mulberries and hops.
The meeting, which organizers called the first of its kind, attracted a packed-house audience of about 65 farmers, academics and others. Presenters discussed market potential, climatic considerations and practical tips for proper cultivation of each crop, in talks aimed at potential first-time farmers of the commodities.
According to dailydemocrat.com, there was one crop drew particular interest from participants: avocados. And for good reason, because Americans have definitively developed a growing appetite for the fruit, consuming on average 14 pounds per person annually, up from a half pound per capita in 1983.
Today, the majority of avocados consumed in America is supplied by growers in Mexico and South America. But Mexico, Colombia and Peru can only ship Hass avocados into the US. So that’s a marketing opportunity for people who want to grow other things besides Hass.
