Growers from the North American Strawberry Growers Association strolled the green strawberry field at Lunceford Family Farms on Seltice Way in Coeur d’Alene as part of their summer farm tour Wednesday. 

“It’s an honor to have them show up and look your stuff over,” said Rob Lunceford, owner and operator of Lunceford Family Farms. 

Vice President of NASGA Charlie Gundersen said that was the whole reason they were there: to look and learn from Lunceford’s operation after having visited farms in Green Bluff, Wash., on Tuesday. 

“This is all brand new to all of us,” Gundersen said. 

Ryan Femling, NASGA member, learned not just more about potential tools, but also that he may be affecting his strawberries’ growth. 

“I might be babying my strawberries,” he said. 

Femling said he may take a more minimal approach to their care in the future and keep them “naturally happy.” 

NASGA members saw many parts of Lunceford's farm, but the item they focused on most was a tractor accessory called a Runner-Cutter. 

According to Lunceford, the Runner-Cutter attachment is used to prune strawberry plants and keep them a favorable size. 

Every strawberry plant sprouts things called runners, which are new shoots that look for soil to burrow into. 

“The plant is trying to make new plants. So, it’s using its energy instead of storing energy to produce fruit next year,” Lunceford said. 

Lunceford spent time going over the Runner-Cutter and showed the crowd exactly how it works.

“You have to learn if equipment is labor cost effective,” Femling said. 

The lessons weren’t the only reason Femling came on the tour; it was also community. 

He said he’s known some of the other NASGA members over a decade and even though they can go years without seeing each other, they have a special bond.

Femling said the most pleasant parts of the tour are when the group is catching up at the hotel after a long day.  

“You can pick right back up from where you left off,” he said. 

    Robert Lunceford gives NASGA a closer look at his Runner-Cutter attachment, lifting it off the ground to give a clear view of the mechanism.