There’s a little something to pique everyone’s interest this year at the 2024 Farwest Show in Portland, Oregon, August 21-23, as far as seminar topics go. “We’ve lined up a wide cross-section of speakers to reflect our member’s specialties and interest,” said Director of Events Allan Neimi.
“Attendees will find sessions to help them run their business more effectively, navigate challenges, deal with pests more effectively and explore new technologies and solutions,” Events and Education Coordinator Jamie Moore said. “For Spanish speakers, several seminars will be translated into Spanish and two will be presented solely in Spanish.”
Highlights
Here’s a sample of a few of this year’s offerings:
Raymond A. Cloyd, Ph.d., professor and extension specialist with Kansas State University will present two sessions: Biological Control: “The Importance of Quality Assessment” and “The Fundamentals of Resistance Management.” In the first session at 2:30 p.m. on August 21, Cloyd will provide examples of quality assessment based on his research of commercially available biological control agents including whitefly parasitoids, aphid parasitoids and predatory mites. In his second session at 8:30 a.m. on August 22, he will discuss the factors associated with resistance management including how resistance occurs, mechanisms of resistance and the biological factors that promote resistance developing in insect and mite populations.
Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., professor and extension specialist in urban horticulture at Washington State University will present “Gardening in a Changing Climate: What to Do and What to Avoid” at 11 a.m. on August 21. She’ll present science-based practical strategies to help plants and soils conserve water and create more resilient gardens and landscapes.
Lloyd Traven, president and CEO of Peace Tree Farm, LLC, will present “I Will Always Love You: Creating and Increasing Market Relevance” at 1 p.m. on August 21. Traven shares his frank observations and advice about how to stay relevant and why it’s crucial to the industry.
Todd Downing, co-founder/managing partner of BEST Human Capital & Advisory Group will present “Building your Bench: Recruiting, Motivating and Retaining Talent in the Green Industry of Today and Tomorrow” at 8:30 a.m. on August 22. The state of the labor market, especially in the green industry, means we must change our thinking about recruiting inside and outside the industry. Learn how your company’s recruitment, retention, motivation, training, compensation and your social capital affect the strength of your team’s talent.
Spanish sessions
For Spanish speakers, Both of Cloyd’s sessions will offer Spanish interpretation as well as the following:
Jerry Weiland, Ph.D., research plant pathologist, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, will present “Production Decisions Influence Risks for Boxwood Blight Outbreaks” at 11 a.m. August 21, with Spanish interpretation. Learn how production decisions can affect your risks for boxwood blight.
Jessica Green, IPM Educator, Oregon Integrated Pest Management Cente will present “Solve Pest Problems: A New Nursery and Residential Resource to Effectively and Safely Manage Pests” at 1 p.m. August 21, with Spanish interpretation, introducing a new online tool managed by Oregon State University’s Oregon Integrated Pest Management Center.
Alison Kutz, consulting director at Sound Horticulture will present “IPM Strategies to Keep Pesticides in the Toolkit” at 9:45 a.m. August 22, with Spanish interpretation, covering the best practices for keeping beneficial insects and microbial controls as the first line of defense in your greenhouse.
Anissa Poleatewich, Ph.D., senior manager product development, Mycorrhizal Applications, will present “Mycorrhizae 101: Biological Root Stimulants,” at 8:30 a.m. August 23, with Spanish interpretation, covering how to implement them into your growing operation and their effect on landscape plantings.
Elaine Sawyer, technical sales specialist, Sound Horticulture, will present “Creating a Biocontrol Program: Tips and Tricks for the Busy Grower,” at 9:45 a.m. on August 23, with Spanish interpretation, will showcase best practices for creating a successful biocontrol program.
The two seminars that will be presented in Spanish are both on the Pest Management Track.
E. Vanessa Vassilaros, M.S., will present “IPM for Horticulture Crops,” at 12 p.m. on August 22, examining steps to prevent, decrease or contain pest and disease pressure using integrated pest management strategies.
Luisa Santamaria, Ph.D., professor and Extension pant pathologist at OSU, will present “Advancing Boxwood Blight Monitoring Techniques,” at 1:15 p.m. August 22, exploring important aspects to consider while monitoring and improve observation methods by looking at symptomatology, cultural practices, and environmental factors.
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From the July 2024 issue of Digger magazine | Download PDF of article
