9-21 FB Idaho Fruit

 Tables of familiar and exotic fruits for the tasting were recently  highlighted at the Parma Research and Extension Center's annual pomology program fruit field day. And by the way, those of you to whom the word pomology is unfamiliar, it is the study of fruit in general and of the cultivation of fruit

 Table grapes, peaches, nectarines, apples, quinces, Asian pears, persimmons, jujube, haskaps and mulberries number among the crops researchers explore at Parma.

 Funny, when I think of big time fruit production, my mind drifts more to the state of Washington but U of I spokesman from their College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Bill Loftus says: “Idaho has an important role in fruit production and the work at Parma is looking at new crops that have a lot of potential for Idaho.

 The pomology program at Parma, led by professor Essie Fallahi, draws hundreds of visitors each year to its field day to explore new fruits, variety trials of apples and other commercial crops and new production methods, including use of growth bioregulators.

 Something else I learned is that a jujube, which I used to get at the theatre…it was a candy…is really a Chinese apple that looks like a giant olive.