Growing honeyberries in Minnesota

The third annual Tri-County Winter Webinar Series will offer community members the opportunity to learn practical skills from Extension experts. Whether you’re a homeowner, small farmer, hobbyist, or simply curious about plants and landscapes, this series provides accessible sessions on gardening, habitat creation, food production, and more. 

Session Information

Honeyberries are a hot topic and an emerging blue fruit crop in Minnesota without soil acidity requirements of blueberries. However, purchasing these varieties without having a greater understanding of their specific needs could leave you without fruit on your plants due to their specific pollination requirements. Join us for this talk to learn about the unique honeyberry biology, recent breeding history, growing requirements, and some trivia like why some people insist on calling them haskap. You'll leave this talk with more confidence to select and grow your plants and help the needs of your community, too! 

Madeline Wimmer is the Fruit Production Extension Educator for the University of Minnesota Extension. She supports a wide range of fruit growers across Minnesota, from those just getting started to experienced producers looking to refine their practices. Her work emphasizes helping growers adopt sustainable and evidence-based best practices to adopt what truly fit their farm-specific needs for the fruit crops they grow. She also serves on the board of the Organic Fruit Growers Association, supporting collaboration and knowledge-sharing among regional fruit producers. Example programs Madeline runs are winter pruning workshops for woody perennial fruit crops, climate resilience education, and a weekly newsletter that runs throughout the growing season through University of Minnesota's Fruit and Vegetable News. 

Additional series sessions

• November 3: Spooky plants for the spooky season with Quincy Sadowski, Stearns, Benton, Morrison, and Sherburne County Horticulture Extension Educator

• November 17: Amplify your garden: Add wildlife habitat with Katie Hagen, Pine & Isanti County Extension Educator

• November 24: Growing herbs: Beyond the container with Jillian Patrie, Clay County Horticulture Extension Educator

• December 1: Christmas pots and centerpieces with Tracey Srock, UMN Extension Master Gardener

• December 8: Backyard composting with Laura Irish-Hanson, Extension Educator, Horticulture

Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your skills with advice from local and regional experts!