Jan 19, 2026Agritourism to value-added: 5 takeaways from the 2026 Southeast Fruit and Vegetable Conference
Growers, extension agents, researchers and allied industry professionals from across the southeast descended upon the historic Georgia river town of Savannah in early January for the 2026 Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference.
Conference organizers said about 3,500 attendees and exhibitors spent the three days in Savannah networking, kicking around the trade show floor and attending the robust program of educational sessions in the newly expanded Savannah Convention Center.
There were several overarching trends that emerged from throughout the week:
Organic in high demand
An entire track of educational sessions was offered up to growers hungry for information on how to grow organic fruits and vegetables. Topics like pollinator habitats and organic-approved cover cropping systems, small farm technologies that fit within organic systems – like mechanical weeding machines – and soil health management tips highlighted a robust program of organic production intelligence.
Alternatives to weed killers
With herbicide active ingredients specifically under ongoing threat from multiple angles (lawsuits, ESA and MAHA) there was a wave of research and data presented on the various types of mechanical and physical (i.e., electricity, lasers and fire) weed control options available for specialty growers. University of Georgia Extension precision ag specialist Dr. Luan Oliveira has led field tests of over a dozen different alternative weed management implements and robots. He said the technology can run a grower anywhere from $50,000 to up to $1.5 million for the latest Carbon Robotics LaserWeeder G2. “The question you must answer is, ‘How much are you willing to pay to eliminate hand weeding on your farm?’” Oliveira told attendees.
Value-added + zero waste
Not to hammer the profit margin pressure growers are facing with every single crop they produce, but one trend that many sessions discussed was getting creative with value-added products and achieving zero-waste status in your production systems to drum up additional revenue across your acres. North Georgia mushroom farmer Howard Beck said his operation, Ellijay Mushrooms, has found success dehydrating harvested shitake and oyster mushroom crops and reformulating them into products like mushroom coffees and tinctures.
Agritourism is big down south, too
Last month’s Great Lakes EXPO in Michigan featured a ton of interest in farm markets and agritourism from farmer attendees, and the Southeast Regional show was no different. Howard Beck with Ellijay and Karisa Ruth with Sara’s Farm Adventure in South Carolina both offered their expertise in bringing the local community out to your farm and keeping them engaged while your crops grow throughout the season. Ruth advised several attendees to use the winter downtime to get out and visit successful agritourism operations around the country and learn what they’re doing to attract folks out to their farms.
Berry crop boom
Several growers we spoke with throughout the week shared 2025 success stories with high-yielding, low-input berry crops like blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. Due to growing consumer interest in healthy living, colorful, antioxidant-packed berry crops — considered “superfoods” by many — are in high demand at retail, and devotees are more than willing to pay a premium price for the tiny-but-nutrient-packed fruits. Export markets for organically grown U.S. berries are also currently strong, which shielded many berry growers from the tariff challenges row crop growers experienced over the last 12 months. Looking for a specialty crop with the arrow pointing up? Berries appear to be just what you’re looking for.
Didn’t make it to Savannah this year? Next year’s show is set for Jan. 7-9 at the Savannah Convention Center. Learn more at https://www.seregionalconference.org/
