Nov 14, 2018Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism and Organic Conference set
The annual Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference (ISCAOC) will be held Jan. 9-11, 2019 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield, Illinois. This year the conference offers sessions for specialty crop growers and small farm owners to learn best management practices, marketing techniques, pest management, food safety and production practices. The program also features five concurrent preconference workshops on January 9, 2019.
The pre-conference workshops offer intensive learning opportunities in five areas, including Financing Your Specialty Farm, Cut Flower Production, Beginning Berries and Beyond, Sweet Corn and Farm Food Safety Training. The Food Safety Training will provide farmers the opportunity to meet the training requirement of the Food Safety Modernization Act-FSMA.
The Food Safety Training pre-conference training has limited enrollment and requires advanced registration earlier than other sessions. The FSMA training option has a registration deadline of Dec. 21, 2018. The cost of this training is also reduced to $45 due to grant funding, but still provides farmers with the manual and certificate as in other trainings offered outside of the conference.
On Thursday, Jan. 10, the conference keynote speaker, Dr. Kimberlee Kidwell, Dean of ACES, University of Illinois will present, “Meeting the Challenge Head On: Leveraging Extension to Meet Growers Needs”. The breakout sessions offered on Thursday, Jan. 10 and Friday, Jan. 11 will feature sessions in six major areas: Agritourism, Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, Organics, and Emerging Issues and Opportunities. During the conference, the annual Apple Cider Contest and annual Hard Cider Contest will also be held, with winners being announced during Thursday evening’s banquet.
If you are interested in registering for the conference, you can do so on-line at www.specialtygrowers.org . Pre-registration must be completed by Dec. 31, 2018. After the deadline you can still register in-person at the conference, but lunch availability is not guaranteed. If you have questions about the conference, contact Raghela Scavuzzo, with the Illinois Farm Bureau, at [email protected] or 309-557-2155.
For more information on University of Illinois Extension programming in Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Moultrie and Shelby counties, visit our website at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/ccdms/index.html or call (217) 345-7034.
– David Shiley, University of Illinois
Current Issue
On-farm AI: Water, farm, labor research guide decisions
Data collection tool expands farm management
Carmel Valley winegrapes: Parsonage Village Vineyard
IFTA Yakima Valley tour provides orchard insights
IFTA recognizes tree fruit honorees
Pennsylvania recognizes fruit industry professionals
Fresh Views 40 Under 40
see all current issue »
