For the first time ever, the Southeast Strawberry Expo leaves its home base of North Carolina, heading this year to Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Expo offers workshops, a farm tour, a trade show, and educational sessions. Current and prospective plasticulture strawberry producers from Maryland, Pennsylvania, and other states outside the Southeast will find a warm welcome, sessions oriented towards very much toward their conditions and needs, and many opportunities for interaction with other growers. The Virginia Beach area offers lots of other attractions including the beach itself, fishing, Colonial Williamsburg, and more. Bring your family and consider coming early or staying on for a real vacation.
The conference starts on Monday, November 8 with three intensive workshops, each 9 am – noon.
● Strawberry Plasticulture for Northern Growers and Higher Elevations is a very special workshop being offered by Dr. Barclay Poling of NC State University focusing on the unique needs and issues of growers in northern and higher-elevation areas.
● Strawberry Plasticulture for the Southeast is a workshop for novice and prospective growers, or those who just want a refresher, led by a team of experienced growers who offer practical advice from their many years as producers.
● Insurance, Taxes, Risk, Family, Land: Led by Ted Feitshans of NC State University and Alex White of Virginia Tech, this workshop focuses on how you can organize your farm business to minimize taxes and health and liability insurance costs, protect family and farm assets… and worry less at night.
The farm tour is always one of the highlights of the Strawberry Expo. This year’s tour on Monday afternoon will visit three farms in the Pungo area of Virginia Beach: Brookdale Farm (Tom and Ann Baker), Cullipher Farm & Market (Mike Cullipher), and the Henley Farm & Market (G.W. Henley & family), seeing both production fields and farm market facilities. All three farms market direct to the public and have varied marketing programs and multiple crops. The tour will conclude at a very special site, the Military Aviation Museum where participants can tour the museum, enjoy dinner together, and hear entertaining speaker John Parker, Executive Director of the Virginia Pork Industry Board. Charter buses will take participants on the tour. The tour will maximize “seeing” and minimize “riding” as all stops and dinner are within four miles of each other.
Tuesday, November 9 offers a trade show and educational sessions 9:00 am to 5:30 pm. The general session includes a grower spotlight on the farm of David and Lisa Schacht, Columbus Ohio and a talk by Matt Lohr, Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, who is also a family farmer raising pumpkins for direct market to consumers. Breakout session topics include
● New Recommendations for Disease Control
● Insect & Disease Management
● Weed Control
● Farming on the Urban Fringe
● Fumigation Best Management Practices
● Non-Fumigation Options
● Working with the Media
● Social Media (Facebook, etc.) for the Farm
● Understanding Your Plant Supply
● and more…
Dinner Tuesday evening is on your own. There are many excellent dining choices in Virginia Beach. A hospitality room at the hotel will be open in the evening for informal visiting and discussion.
Wednesday, November 10 is a half-day, with the tradeshow and educational sessions 8:30 am to noon. There will be a special breakfast-time opportunity for new growers to ask questions that they have developed during the first day’s sessions. In the general session, the grower spotlight will be on Tracey and Shawn Harding, Southside Farms, Chocowinity, North Carolina, and educational sessions include:
● Coping with the New Fumigant Regulations (preregistration required)
● Row Cover Management
● Day Neutrals: Summer and Fall Strawberries
● Working with Chefs
● Tools for Promotion: Roundtable discussion of Promotional Ideas
In the afternoon there will be a special Focus Group Discussion on Developing Crop Insurance for Strawberries (preregistration required). Additional activities may be planned.
The host hotel for the Expo is the Wyndham Virginia Beach Oceanfront. The special Expo rate is only $70/night plus tax. To make reservations, call 800-365-3032. Be sure to mention “Strawberry Expo” to get our special rate. This rate is also good for several days before and after the Expo, if you wish to extend your stay. Be sure to make your reservation by October 7. While the hotel may honor the rate after that date, there is no guarantee that rooms will be available. Be sure to make reservations early if you plan to come the weekend before the Expo, as another group will be competing for the space.
For more information about the hotel, travel to the Virginia Beach area, program updates, and registration, visit www.ncstrawberry.com. Full registration materials will be posted at this website and will also be available by mail. Email info@ncstrawberry.com or call 919-542-4037 for more information or to be added to the mailing list to receive a registration brochure by mail. Sponsor and exhibitor inquiries are welcome.