The Bladen county educational blueberry tour will be held on June 23, 2009. Our Host this year will be Rowan Farms, owned by Carl and Dean Johnson from the Rowan community of Bladen county. We will see how berries are picked and packaged mechanically, hopefully we will be allowed to ride the harvester and get a bird's eye view of the picking process. You will find our host very informative, entertaining, and very hospitable folks. The first stop will be at the propagation beds where the bushes for future crops get their start. Then we go to the fields to see the picking process and then to the packing shed where the berries are packaged for market.

 We will have our lunch at the Black River Presbyterian Church near Ivanhoe. This church was established in 1740. Ms. Kristen Johnson will share some facts about the church as we eat. She is a rising sophmore at Mount Olive College and the daughter of Dean and Carol Johnson.

Sponsors for the tour are:

CAPE FEAR FARM CREDIT
BLADEN SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT
BLADEN COUNTY NATURAL RESOUCES AND CONSERVATION SERVICE
BLADEN COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
N.C. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE-WITCH WEED PROJECT
BLADE COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY