Registration is now open for Jan. 3-4 event

FRANKFORT (Nov. 20, 2021) – Registration is now open for the 2022 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference, the premier event for statewide produce growers to interact and learn, Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Ryan Quarles has announced.

For the first time, the conference, which is set for Jan. 3-4, with pre-conference events on Jan. 2, will be at the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green.

“Due to circumstances beyond our control, last year’s conference had to be hosted virtually. But this year we are excited to be back in person,” Commissioner Quarles said. “Each year, this conference brings together experts in Kentucky’s produce community to share their knowledge with the rest of the state. The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is once again proud to be part of this educational experience.”

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA), in cooperation with the Kentucky State Horticultural Society (KSHS), Kentucky Vegetable Growers Association(KVGA), Organic Association of Kentucky (OAK), Kentucky Wineries Association (KWA), Kentucky Horticulture Council (KHC), the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment (UK), Kentucky State University College of Agriculture, Communities and the Environment (KSU),are joining together to bring more than 75 speakers and 60 exhibitors for this year’s conference.

The conference will include a general session, as well as sessions on protected agriculture production technologies, organic production, vegetable production (beginner and advanced), fruit production (beginner and advanced), and business management. New sessions added this year include MarketReady, farm-to-school, value-added production, and ag water. Other conference events include a Farmers’ Market Short Course organized by KDA, a crop insurance workshop organized by KHC and the Kentucky Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (KCARD), and a labor ready workshop offered by AgSafe as well as the fruit grower and vegetable grower roundtable sessions.

Kentucky specialty crop growers will present as well as Kentucky Extension specialists and out-of-state speakers including: Dr. John Clark, distinguished professor, University of Arkansas; Dr. Chieri Kubota, professor, the Ohio State University; Dr. Dave Lockwood, extension fruit specialist, University of Tennessee; Dr. John McMaine, extension specialist – water management, South Dakota State University; and Dr. Annett Wszelaki, professor of horticulture, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Pre-registration is available online through Eventbrite (https://2022-ky-fruit-veg-conference.eventbrite.com) or by mailing in the meeting registration form by Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. After this date, participants can continue to register online or on-site. The conference pre-registration fee is $50 (or $75 on site) and includes a year’s membership in the KVGA, KSHS, or OAK and full access to recorded content for a year after the meeting.

For registration questions call: (859) 490-0889 or email: info@kyhortcouncil.org.

The full conference program, information about pesticide CEUs, and registration instructions are available on the Conference webpage: https://kyhortcouncil.org/2022-ky-fruit-vegetable-conference/.