The East Texas Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Conference is set for Feb. 24 at the Nacogdoches County Exposition Center, 3805 NW Stallings Drive in Nacogdoches. The event will cover fruit and vegetable production practices.

The multi-county program, which is open to the public, may be helpful to anyone interested in starting a fruit or vegetable operation as it will give participants an opportunity to listen to and visit with specialists and industry leaders.

Registration before Feb. 20 for the conference is $30 per person and $50 for couples. A $5 late fee will be added to registration after Feb. 20. Lunch is included with registration. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. the day of the conference, with programming starting at 9 a.m. and adjourning by 3 p.m.

This year’s conference covers an array of topics for fruit and vegetable growers in the East Texas area. Topics include herbicides, fruit production, including blackberry, blueberry, kiwi, peaches and muscadine grape production, rainwater harvesting and irrigation management, vegetable production and disease issues.

Speakers include Dr. Joe Masabni, Extension vegetable specialist; Dr. Justin Scheiner, Extension viticulture specialist; Dr. Dotty Woodson, Extension water specialist; Dr. David Creech, regent’s professor of horticulture at SFA; Dr. Thomas Isakeit, Extension plant pathology specialist; Dr. Jared Barnes, horticulture professor at SFA; Greg Grant, research associate and lecturer at SFA; Jim Robbins, Irrigation Mart Inc. and Monte Nesbitt, Extension horticulture specialist.

Those with a Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator license will earn two continuing education units for attending. Those needing CEU credits are asked to bring their Texas Department of Agriculture license. The Texas Department of Agriculture no longer accepts any other form of personal identification such as driver’s license or others for credits.

For more information or to register, call the AgriLife Extension office for Nacogdoches County at 936-560-7711. Checks should be made payable to Nacogdoches Master Gardener Association and mailed to: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, 203 W. Main St., Nacogdoches, TX 75961.

 

 

 

Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.