Jan 30, 2020

Ag convention, including specialty crops, to take place in Atlantic City

The 105th New Jersey State Agricultural Convention and Trade Show will be held Feb. 4-6 at the Harrah’s Resort and Waterfront Conference Center in Atlantic City.  The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is hosting the convention in cooperation with the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey and Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.

The 2020 convention and trade show will open Tuesday, Feb. 4, with educational sessions held by the Vegetable Growers Association.

Highlights from the program include sessions on organic production, wine grapes, hemp agronomy, peppers, integrated pest management, high tunnels, regulatory issues with hemp, tomatoes, blueberries, small fruits/strawberries, creating value added products and services to increase profits, specialty crops, food safety, creative marketing and agritourism, vine crops, and new technologies for New Jersey agriculture.

Thursday will feature an all-day session on produce safety alliance training. A full schedule of Vegetable Growers Association events is available at  http://bit.ly/2S0dUDb.

The New Jersey State Agricultural Convention will open Wednesday, February 5 and will include the Agriculture Address from New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher and a New Jersey Hemp Program update by NJDA Plant Industry Division Director Joe Zoltowski that will include a question and answer session. On Wednesday afternoon, the NJDA and the Vegetable Growers Association will have a joint panel discussion on Sourcing New Jersey Produce, and there will also be a Fire Inspections and Wastewater Update with representatives from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Department of Community Affairs as well as NJDA Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Monique Purcell. New Jersey Farm Bureau President Ryck Suydam and New Jersey FFA President Jamie Specca will also give remarks in the afternoon session.

New Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney will be the keynote speaker at the Joint Agricultural Convention Dinner on Wednesday night.

Thursday’s highlights include a session on Carbon Farming/Credits with Margaret Brennan-Tonetta, the Executive Director, Economic Development and Innovation at Rutgers University, and Carrie Lindig, the

State Conservationist with the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service that will include a question and answer session; a Beer, Wine, Spirits, Chef/Restaurant Panel moderated by NJDA Marketing and Development Division Director Joe Atchison, and a report on the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences and New Jersey Experiment Station from Executive Dean Dr. Robert Goodman.

The trade show will feature vendors and representatives offering a wide range of agricultural products and services.

The New Jersey State Agricultural Convention will take place at the Harrah’s Resort and Waterfront Conference Center, 777 Harrah’s Blvd., Atlantic City, New Jersey.

 For more information about the convention, visit  http://bit.ly/30tkAO0

Convention highlights for Wednesday, February 5

Convention highlights for Thursday, February 6