N.J. agricultural convention set for Feb. 3-5
N.J. agricultural convention set for Feb. 3-5
TRENTON, NJ — The 100th New Jersey State Agricultural Convention & Trade Show will be held Feb. 3-5 at the Tropicana Casino & Resort in Atlantic City, NJ. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture is hosting the convention in cooperation with the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey and Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.
The first New Jersey State Agricultural Convention held after the formation of the state Department of Agriculture took place in 1916 and has commenced annually since then, according to a Jan. 6 press release from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.
The 2015 convention and trade show will open Tuesday, Feb. 3, with educational sessions held by the Vegetable Growers Association of New Jersey. Highlights from the program will include sessions on ethnic and specialty crops in demand by chefs, growing vine crops in high tunnels, choosing tomato varieties, pest management for organic operations, and retail marketing and agritourism. There also will be in-depth workshops on food safety and basil downy mildew.
On Wednesday, Feb. 4, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher will open the New Jersey State Agricultural Convention with his annual State of the State of Agriculture address. Following that morning there will be a presentation on the Jersey Fresh Farm to School Program to assist farmers in partnering with schools to serve more local fruits and vegetables. The State Agriculture Development Committee also will hold a discussion on the Draft Soil Disturbance Standards for Preserved Farmland.
At 6 p.m., the Agricultural Youth Ambassadors will hold a reception, and at 7 p.m., New Jersey Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno is expected to speak at the Delegates Dinner.
On Thursday, Feb. 5, there will be updates from representatives from Rutgers School of Environmental & Biological Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the 4-H youth speaker will address the delegates. In the afternoon, there will be a discussion on Palmer Ameranth Weed and election of State Board of Agriculture members.
The trade show will feature vendors and representatives offering a wide range of agricultural products and services.