Jim Jedele, who operates Berry Hill Farm in Dexter, Michigan, was elected as President of the North American Raspberry & Blackberry Association (NARBA) on March 6 at the association’s annual conference, held March 3-6, 2020 in St. Louis, Missouri.
Jim has served as a Regional Representative on NARBA’s Executive Council, its board of directors, since 2016. He has served on the conference planning committee both for this most recent meeting and its 2016 conference in Michigan. Among his priorities as President are making sure the organization stays close to its members and their needs, improving both the financial support for the Association’s Research Foundation and the quality and practicality of the research projects that the Foundation funds.
“Serving on the NARBA Executive Council (EC) has given me the opportunity to work with growers, marketers, and researchers from across the U.S., and in Canada and Mexico, says Jim. “Our members include small farms selling locally by pick-your-own or farmers markets to large commercial growers marketing nationwide and internationally. As president of NARBA I look forward to representing the caneberry industry and supporting research on managing pests and disease, new growing methods, and breeding new improved varieties.”
At Berry Hill Farm, Jim Jedele has been raising raspberries since 1985. The farm currently has three acres of red raspberries, black raspberries, and blackberries and offers U-pick to the public July through October.
Jim Jedele helped pick up berries donated for the conference.
Raspberries at Berry Hill Farm.
