UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Fruit and vegetable growers can delve into industry topics at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, set for Jan. 28-30 in Hershey, where many Penn State experts will present.
This three-day gathering is recognized as a prominent growers’ conference in the Northeast. Convention organizers anticipate that about 2,200 fruit and vegetable growers and other industry stakeholders from the mid-Atlantic region and beyond will attend. The program will cover nearly every aspect of fruit, vegetable, potato, strawberry, bramble, cut flower and greenhouse production. Attendees can earn pesticide applicator recertification credits at the educational sessions.
Experts from Penn State Extension and Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences will present on topics related to microgreens, drones and AI, water quality, no-till vegetable production, retail marketing, tree fruit, cut flowers, and many other subjects.
A detailed schedule of presentations is available online.
On Jan. 29, the program will feature a full day of educational sessions in Spanish, alongside the usual sessions in English. These sessions help growers with limited English deepen their understanding of current industry topics by accessing information in their native language.
Extension specialists and farm owners will deliver eight presentations in Spanish for commercial fruit, vegetable and berry growers, direct marketers, and allied industry personnel. Presenters include Spanish speakers from Penn State Extension, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Virginia Cooperative Extension, West Virginia University Extension, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Crossroad Farm.
Topics will include pesticide safety, high tunnel production, marketing and agritourism, precision agriculture, conservation practices, blackberry production and pruning, apple tree insect pests, and beekeeping. Some sessions offer pesticide applicator update training credits.
Other conference highlights include a preconvention bus tour of horticultural businesses in Lancaster and Chester counties and several workshops. During the convention, the Mid-Atlantic Cider Contest will take place to determine the best cider in the region. A trade show will feature more than 160 exhibitors displaying specialized horticultural equipment and farm market merchandise, along with information on the latest seed and fruit varieties, pesticides, and other supplies and services for the commercial grower.
For the past 47 years, the convention has been sponsored jointly by the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association, the Maryland State Horticultural Society, and the New Jersey State Horticultural Society. The Virginia State Horticultural Society joined the convention in 2014. Penn State Extension, University of Maryland Extension, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and Virginia Cooperative Extension all assist in organizing the educational sessions.
The convention is held at the Hershey Lodge. The registration fee allows a participant to attend all the educational sessions as well as enter the exhibit area. Membership in one of the six sponsoring organizations entitles everyone from a farm — family members or employees — to register at the discounted member rate. Separate fees apply for the preconvention workshops and bus tour. Attendance at these events does not require a convention registration.
More information is available on the convention website.