Purdue News
January 9, 1998
Horticultural groups invite Indiana growers to conference
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Organizers of the 1998 Indiana Horticultural Congress are asking
all growers -- from commercial growers to the small entrepreneurs who sell their products
by the roadside -- to attend the annual two-day conference this month to learn more about direct marketing, organic farming and quality control.
"This is geared for the commercial audience, the large-scale grower, and also for
the small grower. A congress like this gives them an opportunity to increase training,
meet other growers, meet the Purdue Extension staff and find solutions to common
problems and concerns," said Jim Simon, conference organizer and a professor of horticulture
at Purdue University.
The conference will be held Jan. 27-28 at the Adam's Mark Hotel in Indianapolis, with
concurrent sessions each day:
The Jan. 27 sessions include:
- The Indiana Horticultural Society, with a morning program on new orchard technologies
and new varieties. The afternoon program will cover advances in pest and disease
control.
- The Indiana Canning Raw Products Conference, with a morning program on processing
and sprayer technology. Afternoon topics include diseases, weeds and insects.
- An Organic Farming Workshop. The morning session is on creating a local infrastructure
for bioregional food systems, and the afternoon session covers marketing locally
grown produce.
- The Indiana Vegetable Growers Association has a morning session on sweet corn, lettuce,
melon and pumpkin crops. The afternoon events cover weed and pest control.
- A day-long session called New Crops for the Heartland: Income Opportunities With
Specialty Crops.
- The Indiana Farm Marketing Association's morning session is on tourism and topics
concerning the next generation of farmers.
- Wine and grape associations will hold an afternoon session on the industry and a
wine tasting.
The Indiana Horticultural Society, small fruit associations, the Indiana Vegetable
Growers Association and the Indiana Farm Marketing Association will hold joint sessions
on the vegetable and fruit industries the morning of Jan. 28. A morning workshop
on marketing opportunities will be held for organic growers.
The afternoon sessions include:
- Indiana Horticultural Society events concerning cider.
- A small fruit session on management, marketing and pest management.
- Indiana Vegetable Growers Association discussions on corn.
Indiana Farm Marketing Association programs on issues concerning families and farming.
- An organic marketing workshop on new market options for organic field crops.
Members of societies which sponsor the congress can register for $25. These include
the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, Indiana Horticultural Society,
The Indiana Vegetable Growers Association, the Indiana Farm Market Association, the
Indiana Raw Products Conference, the Hoosier Organic Marketing Association, and the Indiana
Center for New Crops and Plant Products.
Nonmembers can register for $35, and registration must be done before Jan. 15. To
register, contact Jane Carter, (765) 494-1293; fax, (765) 494-0391.
CONTACT: Simon, (765) 494-1398; e-mail, simon@hort.purdue.edu
Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; home (765) 497-2433; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
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