2013 Northwest Orchard and Vineyard Show held Jan. 21-22 in Acme, Mich.

Tree fruit and winegrape growers are encouraged to attend the Northwest Orchard and Vineyard Show and hear from an array of speakers discussing management practices, climate variability, and much, much more.

The 2013 Northwest Orchard and Vineyard Show is scheduled for Jan. 21-22 and will be held at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, Mich. Registration opens at 8 a.m. and the cost for both days is $30, which is payable at the door. The line is often long at the registration desk, so meeting attendees are encouraged to arrive well before the 9 a.m. start time. The concurrent winegrape session will be held on Jan. 21 and tree fruit topics will be offered on both the 21st and 22nd.

At this year’s show, Michigan State University Extension is pleased to host Dr. Richard Holownicki, Research Institute of Horticulture, Skierniewice, Poland. He is the head of the Horticultural Engineering Department at the Research Institute of Horticulture in Skierniewice. His main research interests are fruit production mechanization, spray application technique, tunnel sprayers, spray drift and precision agriculture. He is also the Deputy Chairman of Agriculture Engineering Committee of the Polish Academy of Science.

On the first day of the Show, Holownicki will cover the topics of “Mechanical Harvesting of Tart Cherries” and “High Density Sour Cherry Tree Management.” Dr. Jim Flore, MSU Department of Horticulture, will discuss his work on delaying bloom in Montmorency cherry, a topic that will likely interest growers after this difficult season. Dr. Larry Gut, MSU Department of Entomology, will address pest management challenges and opportunities for cherry growers in light of changing regulations and invasive insect species.

Other topics will include a report on bird damage studies in tree fruit, a Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP) update, how growers can prepare financially for fruit farming after the crop loss of 2012, and best management practices to control cherry leaf spot. The fruit industry luncheon keynote speaker this year will be Dr. Fred Poston, the new dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at MSU. Lunch on Jan. 21 will be $15 and all growers are welcome to attend.

The winegrape session of the show will be held on Jan. 21 for a day-long session. Sessions during the morning include new wines from new vines presented by Dr. Paolo Sabbatini, MSU Department of Horticulture. Other topics include bird damage results and a grower panel on how to effectively manage birds in vineyards. In the afternoon, Dr. Tom Zabadal, MSU Department of Horticulture, will address managing grapevine brush and controlling cluster compactness and fruit rot in wine grapes.

On Jan. 22, Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI) will host its annual meeting with a bit of a twist. With no crop to market this season, this session will focus on climate variability and the challenges for growers. Educational sessions will include topics on frost protection methods, crop insurance and some multi-country work that has looked at climate variability and tart cherries. The session will round out with a panel of growers discussing how and if climate variability is affecting their decisions on the farm.

In the afternoon, we will cover some apple topics, such as tall spindle system performance at the Clarksville Horticultural Research Center and a Michigan Apple Committee update. Dr. Roy Black, MSU Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, will present his economic perspective on how long it will take to recover from 2012. The Department of Natural Resources will also be there to talk about the Quality Deer Management program, which will be followed by a grower panel discussion on the expansion of this program beyond Leelanau County. The day will wrap up with a talk on bacterial canker, a problematic disease this past spring.

The exhibit hall will be open throughout the show and will feature vendors of orchard and vineyard equipment as well as supplies, commodity organizations and more. A wine tasting and hors d’oeuvre social hour will follow the educational sessions on Monday, Jan. 21. We are looking forward to another successful program and we hope to see you there!

For more information, please contact the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Center at 231-946-1510 or nwmihort@msu.edu.

The 2013 Northwest Orchard and Vineyard Show is co-sponsored by the Grand Traverse Fruit Growers' Council, Parallel 45 Vines and Wines, Michigan State Horticultural Society, Michigan State University Extension, Cherry Marketing Institute and MSU AgBioResearch.

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