Jan 12, 2021

Virtual format planned for Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention

The 2021 Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention will be held virtually on Feb. 8 to 11, 2021. Normally over 2,400 fruit, vegetable, and berry growers and other industry personnel from throughout the mid-Atlantic region and beyond gather at the Hershey Lodge each year for what has become one of the premier grower meetings on the East Coast.

Since a normal in-person meeting will not be feasible this year due to the coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the Convention Joint Committee decided to move to a virtual format for the first time.

Plans are in place to offer exceptional educational sessions on a full-range of topics in tree fruit, vegetable, small fruit, and potato production plus retail and wholesale marketing.  A special session will also be presented in Spanish for Spanish-speaking industry members.  A schedule of sessions is shown below and a more detailed schedule is available at www.mafvc.org.

The virtual event will also feature a trade show component allowing participants to “visit” with exhibitors.  Registration will be $40 per person and will allow one to visit the trade show exhibitors and to participate in any of the educational sessions during the week of the Convention.  Since all the educational sessions will be recorded, registrants will be able listen to any session until the end of March, 2021.  Pesticide credits will be available for growers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and New Jersey.

The virtual event website will feature a poster competition where graduate students will present the results from their fruit and vegetable research projects.  Another page on the website will feature the recipients of the various awards usually presented by the sponsoring organizations at the Convention each year.

All the educational sessions are scheduled during the daytime, but the virtual event will also include a bring-your-own Ice Cream Social on February 10 at 7:00 p.m. to allow growers to informally virtually visit with each other over a bowl of ice cream and some chips just like they do in Hershey.

The Mid-Atlantic Convention has been jointly sponsored by the State Horticultural Association of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association, the Maryland State Horticultural Society and the New Jersey State Horticultural Society for the past 43 years making this year’s Convention the 44^th meeting.  In 2014, the Virginia State Horticultural Society also began meeting at the Convention.  Penn State Extension, University of Maryland Extension, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and Virginia Cooperative Extension all assist in organizing the educational sessions.

For further information and updates, go to www.mafvc.org or call 717-677-4184 or 717-694-3596.

MAFVC Program 21 – Detailed 21-01-12

MAFVC 21 promotion article 01-12