We are looking for an alternative crop to the blackberries. We were disappointed in the blackberry production this year, both in the quantity and quality. Last year's blackberry pickers probably noticed the difference in the field this year; a much shorter season, not as many berries, berry size was stunted, some of the berries were imperfectly formed with hard spots and many berries were totally dried up.

Tentative identification of the problem is "Blackberry Yellow Vein" in combination with three other viruses. (The other viruses are often symptonless until the plants become infected with the Blackberry Yellow Vein.) Though this disease is still in the research stage, we have had a disease researcher from Washington State, Dr. Bob Martin, along with diseases researchers from North Carolina and Clemson University, visit our farm and concur that this is the most likely explanation. The researchers believe wild blackberries, while they appear immune to the disease themselves, are carriers and the disease is vectored (or carried) to our crop by white flies.

In order to eradicate the disease, we would have to eradicate wild blackberries within a half-mile radius around the farm, which of course, since we do not own that land, we would not be able to do. Furthermore, the virus may be in some other wild host. So it appears, and the researchers predict, the problem is here to stay.

You may be saying (and we have heard from some of you - thank you for input!)
"But I picked and I loved my berries and there seemed to be plenty to pick from."
Or, you may be thinking
"Can you not spray or do something to control the problem?"

Here is the crop production point of view:
There is no treatment for the virus. And while you can buy plants virus free, because of the transmission from the wild blackberries (or possibly other hosts) they will eventually become infected. In general, blackberries have no production in their first year, little production in their second, fair production in their third and it is not until their fourth year that they deliver full production. It is our experience that by the fourth year the viruses take hold. With the viruses, the yield is only 5% to 20% of the anticpated yield. So for the same time and money invested in growing the crop, you get 1/20th of product, and it just doesn't pay for itself.

Someday, if blackberry plants can be developed with resistance such as some wild blackberries seem to have, we could bring blackberries back. Alternatively, if enough pickers are willing to pay more per pound, maybe we should considering keeping some of the blackberries - the business analyst will have to look at the numbers on that. And the idea that the patriarch of The Happy Berry- Walker Miller, Plant Man Extraordinaire- is excited to explore is

The grapes that can be grown at the Happy Berry are

• Orlando Seedless, a green grape similar to Thompson Seedless which you buy in the store.
• Favorite, a blue concord-type grape often used for juices, pies and jellies as well as eating fresh
• Blanc Du Bois and Suwannee - white wine grapes that are also excellent for jellies, jams, etc.
• Lenoir and Jacques - black or red wine grapes
• Herbmont - a pink wine grape
• Dessert quality black muscadines: Supreme, Cowart, and Black Beauty
• Dessert quality golden muscadines: Pam, Darlene, Late Fry and Florida Fry
• Wine muscadines: Nesbit (black) and Carlos (golden)