HORTICULTURE
SW HortDays February 6 & 7, 2008
SW Michigan Horticulture Days has new Organic, Wine Evaluation and Blueberry Sessions
SW Michigan Horticulture Days a two day educational session for fruit and vegetable growers in Southwest Michigan will be on February 6 and 7. The two-day trade show and educational meeting will begin on Wednesdy Feburary 6. This meeting is held every year at Lake Michigan Community College’s Mendel Center. Southwest Michigan Horticulture Days is Sponsored by the Michigan Grape Society and coordinated by MSU Extension in Berrien and Van Buren counties in Southwest Michigan and the Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center.
The educational sessions begin with a general session on Wednesday
focused on Farm Security and there will be two RUP credits for the Wednesday morning
session. The Wednesday afternoon sessions will focus on vegetables, fruit and
organic farming. There will be a wine tasting and hospitality session at SWMREC
immediately following the Wednesday afternoon sessions. On Thursday, there
will concurrent sessions for grapes, blueberries and tree fruit. There should be RUP
credits available for the Thursday concurrent sessions. Out of state speakers will
be speaking at several sessions.
The Wednesday Vegetable session will focus on squash and curcumbers, with special attention to Phythophthora and Downy Mildew, two increasingly important diseases. The afternoon Fruit session will focus on marketing and insect control.
There are 3 concurrent sessions on Thursday; Grapes, Tree Fruit and Blueberries. The grape session will focus on weed, disease and insect control. The tree fruit session will focus on fruit pest management, and using plant growth regulators. The blueberry session will focus on fertilization and insect, disease and weed control.
Admission, which includes lunch both days, is $20 for those reregistering by January 29 or $25 at the door.
For more information contact Mark Longstroth or Melissa Franklin at the Van Buren County MSU Extension Office (269) 657-7745 or visit their webpage at http://web1.msue.msu.edu/vanburen/disthort.htm
