Been thinking for a couple weeks that I had not posted the dates for the SI Conferences this year - somehow I keep finding things to occupy my mind and forgeting. The Fruit Growers Conference is Feb 7 and the Vegetable Growers is on the 16th. Both are in Mt Vernon, Illinois.

The program for the Fruit Conference:

8:00 A.M. Registration

8:30 Welcome, New Extension Staff

Introductions, 2011 Season

Observations

9:00 Updates on Peach and Apple

Insect Management

9:45 Newer Peach Cultivars with

Promise

10:15 Break/Visit with Vendors

10:45 Update on Peach Diseases

11:20 New Apple Cultivars and

Rootstocks

12:00 Lunch on Your Own

Visit with Vendors

1:30 P.M. Micronutrient Impact on Fruit

Quality

2:00 Update on Apple Disease

2:30 GAP--What Has Changed in a

Year?

3:00 Grafting Fruit Trees

3:30 Adjourn

For the Vegies:

Morning General Session: (Salon C)

8:00 AM Registration begins, exhibits open

8:25 AM WELCOME� Elizabeth Wahle, U of I

Extension Horticulture Educator

8:30 AM SCOUTING FOR INSECTS THAT CAUSE

UNEXPECTED DAMAGE

Rick Weinzierl, Professor/Extension

Specialist, Entomology, University of

Illinois, Dept of Crop Sciences

9:10 AM UNDERSTANDINGTHE TOMATO AND

PUMPKIN FRUIT RIPENING PROCESS

Mosbah Kushad, Associate

Professor/Extension Specialist,

Food Crops, University of Illinois,

Dept of Crop Sciences

9:40 AM ADDINGHERBS TO YOUR PRODUCT LINE

OR GARLIC CULTIVARS

Chuck Voigt, Principal Research

Specialist, University of Illinois,

Dept of Crop Sciences

10:10 AM BREAK � Visit with Vendors

10:40 AM FOLIAR NUTRIENT APPLICATIONS FOR

YIELD IMPROVEMENT IN PUMPKINS

Alan Walters, Professor, Vegetable

Science, Southern Illinois University-

Carbondale, Dept of Plant, Soil

Science and Agricultural Systems

11:10 AM SWEET POTATO CULTIVAR TRIALS

Chuck Voigt

11:10 AM INDUSTRY TALK - GREEN BEANS, TRIPLE

STACK SWEET CORN AND TOMATOES

Ken Wagner, Sales Representative,

Stokes Seeds, Inc.

12:00 PM LUNCH ON YOUR OWN - VISIT VENDORS

Afternoon General Session: (Salon C)

1:15 PM MANAGEMENT OF TOMATO DISEASES,

EMPHASIZING BACTERIAL PROBLEMS

Mohammad Babadoost,

Professor/Extension Specialist,

Pathology, University of Illinois,

Dept. of Crop Sciences

1:45 PM GAP--WHAT HAS CHANGED IN A

YEAR?

Elizabeth Wahle

2:15 PM UPDATE ON PUMPKIN DISEASES

Mohammad Babadoost

2:45 PM BREAK � Visit with Vendors

3:05 PM BASICS OFHIGH TUNNEL PRODUCTION

Jeff Kindhart, Senior Research

Associate in Agriculture,

Dixon Springs Ag Center

4:30 PM ADJOURN

Last year I know that Marla came down to the Vegie Conference and we had a nice time visiting.

Here is a link that might be useful: SI Vegie School