New hemp session added to Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days program
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EmailFrom sourcing seeds to post-harvest needs, learn what it takes to grow industrial hemp during the Southwest Michigan Horticulture Days, Feb. 5-6, 2020.
The 2020 Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days on Feb. 5-6 will feature a new hemp session on Thursday morning. This session will provide information from experts in the field on all aspects of hemp growing, from sourcing plants to post-harvest processing and everything in between.
Eric Anderson from Michigan State University Extension will give a Hemp 101 discussion, so you’ll have all you need to know to prepare yourself for growing hemp. Jeremy Dybdahl from BC Hemp will talk about hemp growing and harvesting. Marguerite Bolt from Purdue University will provide an update on the pests and diseases to look out for. Milan Kluko, a local vertical farmer and established hemp grower in Oregon, will discuss what growers need to know about post-harvest requirements for hemp.
The two days of programming will also feature commodity-specific sessions on topics of interest to grape, tree fruit, blueberry and vegetable growers. MSU Extension educators, commercial growers and outside experts will provide informative talks and answer questions. RUP credits will be included for many of the sessions. There will also be a trade show.
Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days will kick off with a general session on Wednesday morning with information valuable to growers of all commodities. Topics covered will include updates on the MAEAP program, Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and the future of the Benton Harbor Fruit Market, as well as new technologies farmers can use right now like sap analysis and remote sensing.
The 2020 Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days will take place at Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center in Benton Harbor, Michigan, and is hosted by the Michigan Grape Society, MSU Extension and Lake Michigan College Wine and Viticulture Technology.
Registration and the trade show begin at 8 a.m. and the educational sessions start at 9 a.m. both days. Educational sessions end at 4 p.m. on Wednesday and 3 p.m. on Thursday. A wine showcase free for all registrants will be held Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Drawing for door prizes will be held both days. On-site registration is $65 per person. Lunch both days is included in the registration fee.