Features Fruit Production
New online community to help unite Canadian berry and grape growers

April 7, 2008, Guelph, Ont. –
Berry and grape growers across Canada have a new forum for sharing
ideas and information with the launch of an online community at
www.berriesgrapes.ca .

April 7, 2008, Guelph, Ont. – Berry and grape growers across Canada have a new forum for sharing ideas and information with the launch of an online community at www.berriesgrapes.ca .
 
The new site, created by Bayer CropScience , helps berry and grape growers come together in a way their geographical locations wouldn’t normally allow to exchanges ideas, get advice and build relationships. Separate and distinct from the company’s product-based site, the new community is completely interactive and searchable for events and industry news. The site features a message board, question and answer section, and includes access to industry professionals to moderate online forums and answer grower questions.
 
“We built this site because we saw a need to help connect growers across Canada by providing a framework where they can learn from each other,” says Brad Ewankiw, portfolio manager for horticulture with Bayer CropScience. “The potential for what it can do for growers is really in their hands…it’s their site to make it what they want.”
 
Eliminating the distance between berry and grape growers across the country means this new community helps facilitate interaction and discussions between growers who face many of the same challenges with the same crops. Members to the new community can create messages, post profiles, start discussions or even post a YouTube video.
 
“Logging in to berriesgrapes.ca will allow growers to build their own community from across Canada, all facing similar decisions and challenges,” says Ewankiw. “And if you have a question, solution or hot topic to discuss, berriesgrapes.ca is where you need to be.”