Extension announces twilight meeting event at Flamm Orchards

The Flamm family of Flamm Orchards near Cobden are teaming up with University of Illinois Extension to host the first of four twilight meetings at their farm on Monday, May 17, starting at 6 p.m.  

University of Illinois Extension educators Bronwyn Aly, Nathan Johanning and Katie Bell have been partnering with area farmers over the past seven years to provide four evening “twilight meetings” to highlight and demonstrate diverse farming enterprises across Southern Illinois.  

Anyone involved or interested in local food production or learning more about farms in the region is encouraged and invited to attend.  

Flamm Orchards is located on Old Highway 51, halfway between Cobden and Makanda.

Flamm Orchards started in 1888 and now has members of the fifth and sixth generation active in the operation. 

Leonhard and Theresa Flamm purchased the original 117 acres of land in 1888. 

Since that time, the farm has slowly evolved from the 117 original acres into a 2,000-acre farm with around 1,000 acres in operation.  They currently have 350 acres of peaches, 250 acres of apples, 10 acres of strawberries and around 200 acres of zucchini, squash and cucumbers in production. 

In recent years, due to market demands, the farm has been working to expand peach production.  

Over the course of the evening, fifth generation family members Mike, Jeff and Alan Flamm will share their experiences growing plasticulture strawberries for over 20 years.  

They will focus on production techniques as well as variety performance between the four cultivars they are currently growing.  

They will also discuss how they retail market 10 acres of strawberries from the roadside stand located on the farm. 

Organizers encourage anyone interested in learning more about strawberry plasticulture production and marketing in Southern Illinois to join them and capitalize on this on-farm learning and networking opportunity.

There is no cost to attend this in-person program, but preregistration is required, as capacity is limited to 50 participants to allow for social distancing. 

“Please do not attend if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms,” event organizers said in a news release. 

Face masks will be required by those who attend and staff. 

To register online, visit go.illinois.edu/2021TwilightSeries.  To register by phone call 618-695-2441.

Those who need a reasonable accommodation to participate are asked to contact Bronwyn Aly at baly@illinois.edu.  Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet needs.