Weather Advisory Service

Dear Agents, Agronomists, Growers and Others:

Wow! It has been a long long time since I have signed in to do a Strawberry Weather advisory (about 6 months). No, I am not back in my old part-time strawberry extension position, but we (meaning the University and the NC Strawberry Associaiton) are trying to find a way to bring you strawberry weather and crop alerts for the upcoming strawberry season. Here is where we stand as of today:

• Last Wed., Dec. 11, 2013, the NC Strawberry Board voted unanimously to support an initiative to bring back the Strawberry Weather Alerts for the period, January 1-May 31, 2014, and they further voted that they would like for me to do them.
• The University gave its blessing to this initiative last Friday, but the catch is that we need to raise the funds to do it!
• As of yesterday morning (12/17), we had pledges of $4500 from three (3) industry suppliers, but we are still needing to raise another $3, 000 from Industry by the end of this week, or next! The total industry contribution will be $7, 500
• Starting next week, I hope we can raise a similar amount of funds from GROWERS! If we could get just 75 growers to donate $100 each, that would enable us to undertake the Strawberry Weather Advisory program for next year. If we don’t reach that amount, I am afraid we’re dead in the water.
• But, let’s be hopeful that it can be done! I really feel, like many of you, that these advisories can be very beneficial to our growers, agents and agronomists.
• Think about it. Just one timely ALERT on a critical shift in weather could be worth many thousands of dollars TO YOU in crop savings next year.
• Wouldn’t you like to see this service again? Our product will cover a very large region, including GA, SC, TN, VA, AR, KY, and even into the Middle Atlantic States and Midwest
• This advisory also directly benefits all extension workers and field agronomists working with strawberries