The newly developed "All About Blueberries" Extension.org web portal offers credible information on blueberry production from a team of researchers and extension specialists across multiple states. The goal is to encourage blueberry production and consumption in the US. The website provides research-based, up-to-date information through articles, FAQs, videos, courses, and interactive tools on cultural techniques and health benefits to empower growers and consumers. In two years, the team developed extensive content reaching over 100,000 users worldwide through social media and the website.

1. THE NEWLY DEVELOPED “ALL ABOUT BLUEBERRIES” EXTENSION.ORG WEB
PORTAL OFFERS CREDIBLE INFORMATION ON BLUEBERRY PRODUCTION
Coneva, E.D.1, Attaway, D.2, Cline, W.O.3, Ferrin, D.2, Himelrick, D.G.2, Hummel, N.2, Machtmes, K2, Marshall, D.4, Morgan, K.5, and Roy, H.2
1Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849; 2LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803; 3NCSU, Castle Hayne, NC, 28429; 4USDA-ARS, Poplarville, MS, 39470; 5Mississippi
State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762
ABSTRACT Our insect identification guide provides an opportunity for initial rapid
The goal of the recently developed eXtension “All about problem detection.
Blueberries” Community of Practice (CoP) website is to encourage
blueberry production and consumption in the United States. The
We strive to actively engage and work together with the project
website engages a wide range of audiences, called the Community
Advisory Board members to improve the content, format, and
of Interest (CoI), including growers, consumers, and 4-H/Youth who
information accessibility of the web portal. Working in a multi-state
want to learn about blueberries. A team of researchers and
environment is providing greater visibility of the scientific information
extension specialists are collaborating to develop content for our
we are offering at “The Blueberry Production” section and multiplies
multi-faceted constituents in order to empower our CoI to make
the overall impact for commercial blueberry growers.
educated decisions that benefit their well-being and improve their
quality of life. Horticulture experts from multiple states are focusing
their effort on developing credible, research-based, up-to-date
information and sophisticated online tools and solutions, aimed to
facilitate the growers in the daily decision-making process.
One of the novel tools we have developed is a Moodle self-educating
course that offers information on various aspects of blueberry
production.
IMPACT
Our multistate team of experts has developed and published 470
Numerous video clips developed by our team offer information on articles on blueberry production, consumption, and health benefits, 120
critical blueberry production topics. Our web site also offers links FAQs, numerous news and events, videos, Moodle courses, interactive
to webinars addressing the importance of various cultural diagrams, and an interactive online insect identification guide. Our “All
techniques, and health benefits of blueberry consumption. about Blueberries” web portal also provides links to social media
channels, including Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, YouTube and Flickr.
By the end of the second project year, we had 796 Facebook fans; 127
Twitter followers; 2,722 WordPress views; 2,317 Flickr views; 2,490 You
Tube views; a total of 114,049 pageviews coming from 22 countries and
5 continents.