By SHELLY STRAUTZ-SPRINGBORN
Michigan Correspondent

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The premier show for Michigan fruit and vegetable growers and farm marketers is Dec. 7-9 at the DeVos Place Convention Center in Grand Rapids.

The Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo has more than 60 educational sessions and workshops during its three-day run, as well as a trade show featuring more than 400 exhibitors in four acres of exhibit space.

This year’s conference will provide fresh fruit and vegetable growers, shippers, packers, processors and retailers with timely information about specific crops production. In addition, a number of sessions will focus on topics of general interest such as food safety audits, growing crops under high and low tunnels, sprayer technology and marketing crops from farms to local schools.
A new session this year will focus on hops production and processing and will feature researchers and growers as speakers and on a grower panel.

Michigan State University (MSU) Extension educators have planned 63 educational sessions and workshops during the show. Many of the sessions offer restricted use pesticide recertification points for private and commercial applicators and continuing education units for certified crop advisors.

For farm marketers, sessions will cover customer service, agritourism ideas and business management practices. A variety of “show and tell” presentations will be made by successful farm marketers, and a discussion session for all farm marketers to exchange ideas that have worked or not. During the last day of the expo, four workshops are planned for farm marketers covering bakery products, turning staff into salespeople, raising animals for food and fiber and building customer service.

An industry outlook luncheon is planned for noon on Dec. 7. The event is intended to bring together grower leaders and others with an interest in Michigan agriculture. Michigan is second only to California in the diversity of its agriculture, and this unique characteristic offers many opportunities for the future. MSU Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Dr. J. Ian Gray will discuss how funding and other issues will impact the future direction of agricultural research. Gray was director of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station (MAES) from 1996 to 2004 and served as its associate director for nine years prior to serving as the director.

Photographer Paul Mobley will be the speaker during the Expo Banquet on Dec. 8. Mobley traveled 100,000 miles and spent three years photographing hundreds of farmers and ranchers all over America. Mobley’s work was published in 2008 in the book American Farmer, which was immediately selected as one of the top 10 art and photography books of the year. While sharing some of his photos with the banquet attendees, Mobley will tell the stories behind the pictures.

The banquet program also will include recognition of people who have made outstanding contributions to Michigan’s fruit and vegetable industries, as well as recognition of industry scholarship recipients, and the winner of this year’s cider contest. Banquet tickets are $35 and advance purchase is recommended when pre-registering for the conference.

The conference trade show will feature a large farm equipment display, chemical and seed company representatives, nursery professionals, insurance providers and a wide variety of products for retail farm markets including specialty foods, jams and jellies, supplies, animated characters and much more.

Other special events during the conference will include a Grape Industries luncheon at 11:15 a.m. Dec. 7; the Michigan State Horticultural Society and the Michigan Vegetable Council annual meetings at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 7; a Michigan Farm Marketing and Agritourism Assoc. gathering at 5 p.m. Dec. 7; crowning of the Michigan Apple Queen at 8 p.m. Dec. 7; and a 7 a.m. prayer breakfast on Dec. 8.

The expo is co-sponsored by the Michigan State Horticultural Society and the Michigan Vegetable Council in cooperation with MSU Extension.

Registration is required and may be done online at www.glexpo.com or by calling 734-677-0503.