STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Mississippi State University is offering a blueberry education workshop in Hattiesburg Jan. 14 to raise interest in growing this profitable and delicious fruit crop in the state.

"Much of Mississippi's climate is ideally suited to blueberry production, and those involved in the industry would like to see more people become growers," said Eric Stafne, event organizer and MSU Extension Service fruit crop specialist. "We designed this workshop to be useful to industry professionals and those who are just considering getting involved."

The workshop will be from 1 to 5 p.m. at the MSU Extension Service office in Forrest County. Hobbyists, homeowners, and owners/managers of local markets and pick-your-own and commercial-scale farms are all invited to attend. Preregistration is not necessary, and the $10 attendance fee will help make future workshops possible.

The workshop will cover various aspects of blueberry production. Topics include disease basics, blueberry cultivars, online marketing, the Farm-to-School program and mechanized harvest technology.

This program has attracted between 60 and 90 attendees each year since it began in 2012. The event is cohosted by MSU Extension, the U.S. Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service and the Gulf South Blueberry Growers Association.

The MSU Extension office in Forrest County is at 952 Sullivan Drive in Hattiesburg.