Nov 21, 2016

2017 Mid-Atlantic Convention set for Jan. 31-Feb. 2

The 2017 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention will be held Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Over 2,100 fruit, vegetable and berry growers and other industry persons from throughout the mid-Atlantic region and beyond are expected to attend.

The convention will feature several pre-convention workshops, a farm market bus tour and a trade show with more than 160 exhibitors, plus three full days of educational sessions.

The day before the main convention opens, growers can choose between a bus tour of Pennsylvania farm markets or several workshops. The workshops include FSMA Grower Training, Hands-On Apple Tree Grafting, Cider Symposium, Hops Production, Greenhouse Vegetable Production, Recall Readiness, Vegetable Grafting and Pennsylvania Pesticide Applicator License Training.

The convention has been jointly sponsored by the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association, the Maryland State Horticultural Society and the New Jersey State Horticultural Society for the past 39 years. In 2014, the Virginia State Horticultural Society also began meeting at the convention.

The Pennsylvania State University, University of Maryland, Rutgers University Cooperative Extension and Virginia Tech University all assist in organizing the three days of educational sessions.

The Great American Hall and the Aztec Room at the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center will host the trade show. Specialized horticultural equipment, farm market merchandise and packaging will all be on display, along with information on the latest seed varieties, fruit varieties, pesticides and other supplies and services for the commercial grower.

Pesticide applicator update training credits will be available to Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia growers attending the sessions. The program covers nearly every aspect of fruit, vegetable, potato and berry production.

Seven or eight concurrent educational sessions will be offered on all three days of the convention. Besides a combined session for the keynote address, the opening day will feature breakout sessions on Pome Fruit, Fall Ornamentals and Vine Crops, Organic Vegetables, Broccoli, Snap Beans, Asparagus, Crucifers, Winter Storage Crops, Hydroponics, Changing Climate, Market Trends, Wholesale Marketing and Labor/Farm Management.

On the second day, sessions on Marketing 101, Agritainment, Small Fruit, Tree Fruit, Sweet Corn, High Tunnels, Greenhouse Ornamentals, Wine Grapes, Cover Crops, Onions and General Vegetables will be offered. Also offered will be the session “Técnicas de Producción de Frutas y Hortalizas.” It will feature various relevant production presentations in Spanish.

The convention will close on the third day with sessions on: Stone Fruit, Tree Fruit, Tomatoes, CSAs, Social Media and Advertising, High Tunnels, Small Fruit, Specialty Vegetables, Leafy Greens, Potatoes and Cut Flowers.

The 11th annual Mid-Atlantic Cider Contest will be conducted during the convention to determine the best tasting cider produced in the region. On Jan. 31, fruit and vegetable growers will gather for the annual Fruit and Vegetable Growers Banquet, which will include awards and recognitions. On Feb. 1, there will be an ice cream social in the evening.

Registration is required for all persons attending the convention, trade show or educational sessions. Registration with any of the five sponsoring organizations allows one to attend any of the sessions, although there are additional charges for some workshops and meals. For more information, visit www.mafvc.org, or call 717-677-4184 or 717-694-3596.