The Missouri Department of Conservation is buying red mulberries and wild plums. If you have some growing on your property, MDC is paying a good price for these fruits.
Buying Wild Fruit?
The MDC will pay residents for red mulberry and wild plum fruit this summer. This is at the Chillicothe office as part of an early seed buy season.
MDC will pay $6 per pound for red mulberries, beginning June 9. Red mulberry can be found as a small tree on moist wooded slopes in shaded areas. This is not to be confused with white mulberry, which often grows in fencerows and yards out in the sun. MDC staff encourages people with mulberry trees to bring some leaves to the office to confirm the species before harvesting the fruit.
MDC will pay $ 1.95 per pound for wild plums. They will be purchasing these beginning July 7. The fruit must be ripe and red, orange, or yellow. No partially green fruit will be accepted.
Where Is This?
The Chillicothe office for MDC is collecting the fruit.
People can bring their fruit on a walk-in basis or call 660-646-6122 to make an appointment with MDC staff. The office’s operating hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., with a one-hour closure between noon and 1 p.m. for lunch.
Chillicothe is northeast of Kansas City. But if you have enough fruit, it is well worth the trip.
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As Oregon County residents are rural, amny with acres of land, they may want to search out these particular trees as a means of extra income.
MDC will purchase a wider variety of seeds in the fall when more species become ripe. Call the Chillicothe office at 660-646-6122 with any questions.
