Jun 9, 2006

Cut Flower Conference AnnouncedSource: ASCFG

The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, Inc. (ASCFG) will holds its 2006 National Conference and Trade Show October 26-29 at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose, Calif.

The popular Growers’ School, providing the basics of cut-flower production to new growers, is scheduled for Thursday, October 26. Attendance is limited to 80 students and early registration is encouraged. Tours on Friday, October 27, will include visits to Goldsmith Seeds, American Takii and Sakata Seed America as well as cut-flower grower Camflor. The Center for Agroecology at University of California, Santa Cruz, will be the final stop before dinner.

Educational sessions on Saturday and Sunday, October 28-29, will provide a wide range of presentations, from the American Floral Trend Forecast presented by Kim Morrill, AIFD, to breakout sessions covering cut-flower sales for supermarkets; alternative weed-control methods; agritourism; and production of sweet peas, filler flowers and florists’ botanicals. Growers of all sizes selling to any market will find information on online sales as well as farmers’ markets, energy conservation and weather forecasting, and research and postharvest updates from the industry’s leading experts: John Dole (North Carolina State University), Michael Reid (University of California, Davis) and George Staby (Chain of Life Network).

A bonus tour to Swanton Pacific Ranch is offered on October 25 to attendees who want to experience firsthand the beauty of California’s redwoods and coastal ecology.

The complete program is available at www.ascfg.org or by calling (440) 774-2887.