US (IN): Learn management strategies at growers meeting

Produce growers in northern Indiana and southern Michigan can learn to make their operations more profitable and productive at the second annual Michiana Vegetable and Fruit Growers Meeting on March 21.

The daylong event is hosted by the Purdue Extension and Michigan State University Extension services. It runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Elkhart County 4-H Fairgrounds, 17746 County Road 34, Goshen, Indiana.

The meeting will feature several educational sessions in the morning followed by breakout sessions and a panel discussion in the afternoon. There will also be a trade show for attendees to visit during registration and breaks.

“Regional growers should try to attend because this is a unique opportunity to gain reliable information from university experts to make the operation back home more productive and profitable,” says John Woodmansee, educator for Purdue Extension-Whitley and Noble Counties.

Topics and presenters are:

“Marketing What You Produce” - Steve Engleking, Purdue Extension-LaGrange County educator.
“Understanding Your Soil Test: What do Those Numbers Mean?” - Ron Goldy, Michigan State Extension Southwest Vegetable educator.
“Nutrient Management” - Goldy.
“Insect Management in Fruits and Vegetables” - Ricky Foster, Purdue professor of entomology and Extension vegetable and fruit crop coordinator.

Attendees can choose one of three breakout sessions to attend in the afternoon. Petrus Langenhoven, Purdue horticulture and hydroponics crop specialist, will offer a presentation on greenhouse and high tunnel management. Goldy will lead a session on tomato diseases, and Dan Egel, regional integrated pest management specialist at Purdue, will lead a session on fungicide applications.

The registration fee is $30, which includes lunch. Additional participants from the same organization pay $15 per person. Registration deadline is March 14.

Private Applicator Recertification Program credits are available for an additional $10 fee.

For more information or to sign up, go to http://bit.ly/2kjuUGt or contact Woodmansee at jwoodman@purdue.edu.