Paul
Vossen
- Fruit, Vegetable, Marketing and Master Gardener Program, Advisor
The horticulture program deals with fruits, nuts, and row crops,
and plays a key role in the world-wide marketing of Sonoma County
produce. In Sonoma County, over 800 farms produce approximately
twenty million dollars worth of produce annually. Our horticulture
programs address the issues of soil management, irrigation systems,
biological pest control, and North Coast crop production techniques.
Most
recently, the horticulture program has focused on olive production,
providing short courses that train participants in selection,
pruning, irrigation, and harvest methods, as well as tasting and
olive oil evaluation. Another highlight of the UCCE Horticulture
Program is a series of apple variety trials which are testing
fifty-two new varieties of apples for size, color, tree development,
and overall fruit quality.
Note:
The UCCE Horticulture Advisor is available to work with commercial
growers only. Those with home gardening questions should call
the Sonoma County Master Gardener Program at (707) 565-2608.