Area fruit and vegetable growers will be able to hear about seasonal crop and pest updates this February at the 22nd annual Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference in Rockford.
“Our regional fruit and vegetable farms depend on campus resources and information to make the right decision in preparing for their upcoming season. University of Illinois Extension specialists will join us yet again this year to provide valuable updates on diseases, insects and production practices,” Grant McCarty, local foods and small farms extension educator, said in a news release.
Christelle Guedot from University of Wisconsin – Madison will provide an update on Spotted Wing Drosophilia, an invasive insect on fruits, at the conference. Guedot is the fruit crop entomologist and extension specialist who focuses on integrated pollinator and pest management in fruit crops.
The 22nd annual Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 5 at Midway Village, 6799 Guilford Road in Rockford. The registration fee is $40 a person, $30 for additional employees of the same farm.
This includes a keynote, choice of three breakouts, lunch and handouts. An early-bird discount of $5 a person for all participants who register before Jan. 16 is available.
For information or to register, visit go.illinois.edu/statelinegrowers2018 or call 815-986-4357.
If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this program, contact the Winnebago County Extension Office at 815-986-4357.
