Fruit and vegetable growers will learn how to market their crops during the 20th Annual Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference scheduled for Feb. 22 at the LSU AgCenter’s Calhoun Research Station.

The conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 22 in the research station’s auditorium. No fee is charged for the conference, but participants are asked to register by Feb. 18.

LSU AgCenter associate professor Dr. John Pyzner, who is coordinating the conference, said several items related to growing and selling fruit and vegetable crops will be discussed during the conference.

"We have a variety of speakers lined up who will speak on everything from pest control to irrigation to marketing," Pyzner said. "This conference is geared toward anyone who grows fruits and/or vegetables to sell."

Among the speakers, Judy Meche from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will speak on producer value-added grants, and Dr. James Boudreaux of the LSU AgCenter will speak on direct marketing of fruit and vegetable crops.

Following a sponsored lunch, the afternoon session will feature a discussion on fruit and vegetable disease control, a discussion on equipment maintenance and a discussion on organic vegetable growing.

For more information, contact Pyzner at (318) 644-5865 or jpyzner@agcenter.lsu.edu.

The LSU AgCenter’s Calhoun Research Station is located on U.S. Highway 80, 1.2 miles west of Interstate 20. The research station is the second building on the right. The auditorium is located behind the main office.

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Contact:     John Pynzer at (318) 644-5865 or jpyzner@agcenter.lsu.edu
Writer:        A. Denise Coolman at (318) 644-5865 or dcoolman@agcenter.lsu.edu