Polter's Berry Farm - Changing the Way Strawberries are Grown

Polter's Berry Farm 2275 County Rd 239 Fremont , OH 43420 (419)332-5890 www.poltersberryfar m .com steve@poltersberry.com

Background. In 1975, Polter's Berry Farm started with 40 acres of crops. Today this family-run operation consists of 2,000 acres of fruits, vegetables, and grain crops. Most of their acreage is in corn, soybeans, and popcorn, but other leading crops include strawberries, pumpkins, cabbage, blueberries, and pickles. The farm offers both retail and pick-your-own strawberries and blueberries.

Ag Advancement. Recently, they have been looking into new ways to improve their strawberry crop. They have been experimenting with plasticulture, a new method that uses black plastic mulch and trickle irrigation to allow the berries to ripen earlier and raise the plants off the ground to ease harvesting. Currently, this method is used on two acres of the 11 acre strawberry patch. They also use trickle irrigation on conventional beds. Dan Polter gives credit to his sons, Tony and Steve, for implementing the new ideas that are being used on the farm after graduating from Ohio State . Steve focused his master's degree research on strawberry herbicides.

Benefit to the Farm. Plasticulture has allowed the Polter's to extend their growing season and offer strawberries to customers earlier than most other berry farms. This system also has the potential to produce higher yields than conventional grown strawberries.

Farming Philosophy. The Polter family believes that their farm needs to continue to grow. However, they also say they need to work to provide products that the market needs.

Benefits to the Community. Polter's Berry Farm provides a form of entertainment to the community and offers an opportunity for families to come and pick strawberries. The strawberries that are grown using plasticulture have raised beds, which makes it easier for customers to pick them.

Quotable Quote. “We are always looking to grow crops that the market needs- if there is a market for a crop, then we will look to fill it.” –Steve Polter

This Ag Advancements profile was written by Lucy Bowen.