2014 National Sustainable Strawberry Initiative Project Leader Meeting

1. Winter Production of Nebraska
Strawberries:
An Idea Whose Time Has Come
Ellen T. Paparozzi, PhD, Professor of Horticulture
Co–Principle Investigators and Project Partners:
Mr. Ryan Pekarek, M.S., Owner Pekarek’s Produce,
President, Nebraska Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, Industry Partner
David P. Lambe, M.B.A., Associate Professor of Practice in Horticulture
Stacy A. Adams, M.S., Associate Professor of Practice in Horticulture
George E. Meyer, PhD, Professor of Biological Systems Engineering
Erin E. Blankenship, PhD, Professor of Statistics
Paul Read, PhD, Professor of Horticulture

2. Objectives:
1 - Establish a heated high tunnel and track associated costs
2 -Test the feasibility of a commercial production timeline for
growing strawberries in a heated high tunnel on a
specialty crop grower’s farm and compare yield data
to our smaller UNL production system (concurrently)
in a double poly greenhouse.
a. Track commercial production costs; record and
compare sustainability data
b. Answer the question – does UNL research size up?
3- Determine gross profit; years-to-return on investment for
strawberry growing;
a. develop a budget for winter strawberry production

3. Start up funds - Strawberry Project
Structure
Costs : Price
ClearSpan Gothic Cold Frame
furnace, doors, polycarbonate
endwalls
Total Structure Costs: $15,698
Site work:
Clay brought in
Black dirt brought
in (36 yds),labor
Treated Lumber
(12) , concrete, landscape fabric
Total Site Work: $1,171
Bench Material:
Bench Lath (4rolls) 708
Freight 420
Concrete
Block
block
(170) 192
Capmat II 1129
Total Bench Material $2,449
Hydrant installation:
5 bury hydrant (1) rock
trenching, labor
Total Hydrant: $979
Propane:
Propane 860
gallons
Tie plates, screws, hex nuts
Total Propane: $1,295
Total structural start up $21,592

4. Additional costs:
Convection Tube 170
Nipples for furnace 60
Labor to pipe hanging heater 100
Electric for Greenhouse 2116
Labor on electic hookup 1200
Copper line 5/8" 375
Regulators and connectors 216
Silicone and Flexiflame 151
Valves, bolts, connectors, elbow 297
Total additional costs $4,685
Total structural start up $26,277
Total Strawberry plants/pots $1,644
Total labor on-farm $1,550
Total cost for start up $29,471

5. GREENHOUSE STRAWBERRY PRODUCTION (WINTER) SCHEDULE*
* Pekarek’s Produce and UNL (2013-2014)
Month
March Order dormant strawberry crowns (1 per sq. ft) - plan on 10% loss
June Order pots, soilless mix, fertilizer (1 bag each - 20-10-20; calcium nitrate; 21-7-7, bio
fungicide to dip crowns before planting
September
(12-20)
Crowns arrive and are potted up; watered in and then placed on wet capillary mat; 4
days later start fertilizer – 100 ppm N from 20-10-20 for 4 days then 100 ppm N from
calcium nitrate
October 1 Flowering begins
Order bumble bees; Temperature 75oF day/65oF night
October 15 First berries are harvested
Check pH – if above 7.0 use 21-7-7 at 100 ppm N for 7 days
If deficiency symptoms use 21-7-7 at above rate
October 22-
December 15
Berry production peaks; Stolons removed at least weekly
Be sure bumble bees still active; if not reorder; Check pH; send leaves for nutrient
analysis
December 15 Berry production slows; consider dropping temperature to 70oF day/57oF night;
Check pH
February 1 Plants starting flower again; Bring in bumble bees; Check pH
February 15 –
April
Peak berry production that should exceed winter production
Check pH; send leaves for nutrient analysis
April High tunnel/greenhouse becoming too warm. Plants can be tossed or moved to the
field to produce plantlets for Fall production (note: royalty payments)

7. Sustain
ability
Water usage –
7,650 gallons at
Pekarek’s produce
3,800 gallons at
UNL*

8. Propane usage –
Pekarek’s heated high
tunnel
4, 385 gallons = $7487.55
Natural gas usage – UNL
double poly greenhouse
329,000 cu ft. = $2038.85

9. pounds per
cultivar
Harvest Period 'Evie-2' 'Evie-2' + 'San Andreas' 'Seascape' 'Seascape' +
October - December 31 48.97 70.01 8.62 21.13 36.50
January - April 12 203.02 199.36 59.36 177.59 167.71
Totals
251.99 269.37 67.98 198.72 204.21
pounds per
plant per
cultivar
Harvest Period 'Evie-2' 'Evie-2' +
'San
Andreas' 'Seascape' 'Seascape' +
October - December
31 0.204 0.280 0.082 0.094 0.168
January - April 12 0.846 0.797 0.565 0.793 0.773
number of live
plants 240 250 105 224 217
that's 1,036 plants out of 1,054

10. Income Statement - Strawberries - 2013-2014
Revenue:
Pints 4279.88
1556.25 sold @
2.75 each
Quarts 1300
260 sold @ $5.00
each
Total
Revenue 5579.88
2076
pints
total
Costs:
Labor 1910
Propane 7487.55
Fertilizer 56.88
Electrical 0
Pesticides 12
Beneficials 182.5
Bees 552
Clamshells 346.4
Mileage 1640.8
Strawberries 1644
Total Costs 13832.13
Profit/Loss -8252.25

11. But could we?
- Direct market
- Milder winter and/or less propane costs
- Start in January/late December?
- Use the tunnel for other crops after
strawberries
- Use tunnel for strawberries and
transplants for the farm

12. Culture change
They grow !
Markets !!
Rural + youth
International

13. The Nebraska Strawberry Team
George Meyer, BSE, Vicki Schlegel, Food Science
Erin Blankenship,Statistics, Paul Read, Stacy Adams, Dave
Lambe, Liz Conley, Horticulture, Ryan and Katie Pekarek

14. http://agronomy.unl.edu/cea