RAYMOND, Miss. -- Mississippi blueberry producers have two opportunities during February to learn more about production of the state’s largest fruit crop.

The Mississippi State University Extension Service is hosting an in-person workshop and a virtual workshop.

The in-person workshop will be held Feb. 8 from 9 a.m. to noon at the MSU Extension Service office in Forrest County. The office is located at 952 Sullivan Drive in Hattiesburg. A virtual workshop will be held Feb. 15 from 1 to 2 p.m.

Both workshops are open to blueberry producers and those interested in growing blueberries at any production level. Hobbyist winemakers and others interested in wine will enjoy the winemaking portion of the workshops.

Speakers for the in-person workshop include Eric Stafne, Extension Fruit and Nut Specialist and Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researcher; Blair Sampson, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service researcher; and Jenny Ryals and Haley Williams, MAFES research associates.

Topics for the in-person workshop include basics of blueberries and production, pollination and pollinators of blueberry plants, propagation techniques and tips, and winemaking with blueberries and wine blends with other fruits.

Speakers for the virtual workshop include Stafne, Ryals and Williams.

Topics for the virtual workshop include impacts of the updated U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zone Map, propagation techniques and tips, and winemaking with blueberries and wine blends with other fruits.

Both events are free. Preregistration is required for the virtual workshop. To sign up, visit the Extension registration portal at http://tinyurl.com/yr6n66eu. Registrants will receive two reminders to login to the workshop.

No registration is required for the in-person workshop.

MSU is an equal opportunity institution. For disability accommodation or other information, contact Eric Stafne at [email protected].