9-25 FB Parma Fruit

 People recently lined up to taste familiar and exotic fruits at the Parma Research and Extension Center's annual pomology program held at the research facility campus.  The pomology program at Parma is led by professor Essie Fallahi and draws hundreds of visitors each year. Those attending got to explore the fruits, variety trials of apples and other commercial crops. Researchers talked about new production methods, including use of growth bioregulators and irrigation techniques.  Idaho Farm Bureau spokesperson Jake Putnam was just one of those in attendance: “It was a very festive experience out there. Idaho Gov. Butch Otter was out there along with director of the Idaho Department of Agriculture Celia Gould and we were just amazed at the rows and rows of fruit that had been harvested. There must have been 30 to 40 different varieties. Table grapes, peaches, nectarines, apples, quinces, Asian pears, persimmons, jujube, haskaps and mulberries number among the crops researchers grow at Parma. There must have been minimum 400 people out there sampling all these fruits. It was the perfect harvest day.