2022 Mid-Atlantic Convention
Was Quite Successful

2023 Convention Will Be
January 31 to February 2

After last year’s virtual Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, both growers and exhibitors as well as the convention organizers were eagerly looking forward to this year’s return to an in-person format.  While the Pennsylvania Farm Show reported an attendance drop of 40 to 50%, the Mid-Atlantic Convention attendance was about 75 to 80% of the 2020 attendance by preliminary counts.  The pre-convention Farm Market Bus Tour sold out with two busloads of farm marketers – about 90 persons which is the usual number on the bus tour – visiting three markets and an equipment manufacturer.
 

Keynote speaker, Dr. David Kohl, discussed Roller Coaster Economics and the Management Mindset during his presentation on the opening day attended by about 400 Convention attendees.  He pointed out that the economic environment is surrounded by uncertainty, but also opportunities for those with a high business IQ and financial management mindset.  He reviewed macroeconomic variables ranging from global economic trends to inflation, interest rates, supply chain disruptions, and consumer trends that will impact the financial bottom line.  He then reviewed time-tested business and financial practices that will place the odds of success in a grower’s favor.   He gave practical tips, techniques, and tools that can be used in a grower’s business, family and personal life based upon his decades of engagement with agricultural businesses, research and even business ownership.

While the Convention Joint Committee was looking forward to the return to in-person, it was not without some adjustments and accommodations.   As the number of Covid cases peaked in January, some speakers were uncomfortable due to various personal circumstances with presenting in-person and opted to make their presentations virtually to the audience in attendance at the Hershey Lodge.  And at the last minute, a couple speakers were prevented from traveling by the weather.  The Convention Audio-Visual team headed by Daniel Weber, Tom Butzler, Rob Pollock and Don Seifert, all with Penn State Extension, scrambled to provide the necessary Zoom links to allow over 40 virtual presentations.  The six to nine concurrent sessions over the three-day convention included over 250 presentations, so most were still presented in-person by speakers from various locations.  The virtual technology successfully allowed the remote speakers to show and explain their slides essentially the same as if they were present in-person.  They were even able to answer questions from the audience afterward.
 

The Annual Fruit and Vegetable Growers Banquet on the evening of the first day featured awards from the various sponsoring groups.  The second day of the Convention concluded with a reception for apple growers at 5:00 p.m. followed by the Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social at 7:00 p.m. featuring generous bowls of vanilla ice cream with toppings of your choice and potato chips.
 

While attendance was lighter than usual, in general the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Convention was a start toward a return to “normal”  – a new “normal” that will likely continue to include some virtual presentations.  Plans for the 2023 Convention will begin in March so send us your ideas and suggestions for topics and speakers.

The Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention has become the premier grower meeting in the Northeast, normally combining three days of six or more concurrent educational sessions with a large industry trade show and numerous networking opportunities - all designed to enable fruit, vegetable and berry growers as well as direct marketers to stay on the cutting edge of their industries. About 2,200 persons from throughout the mid-Atlantic region and beyond gather each year at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pennsylvania, for the Convention.  We are planning for an in-person event for the 2022 Convention and registration will be open about December 1st, 2021.

Educational Program
Many pesticide applicator update training credits are available to growers attending the sessions. The program covers nearly every aspect of fruit, vegetable, potato, berry, cut flower and greenhouse production adn marketing. Commercial growers should not pass up this terrific educational opportunity.  Six or more concurrent educational sessions will be offered on all three days of the Convention.   The 2023 Educational Program will be posted in November 2022.

Pre-Convention Workshops and Tour
The day before the main Convention opens, growers can choose between a bus tour and several different pre-convention workshops.  The bus tour will visit several farm markets and other points of interest.  The workshops offer a full- or half-day of focused instruction in a given area of interest.

The annual Mid-Atlantic Cider Contest is conducted during the Convention to determine the best cider in the region.

For general information on the Convention program, contact William Troxell, Publicity Coordinator at 717-694-3596 or pvga@pvga.org

For information on exhibiting at future Conventions, contact Maureen Irvin, Convention Coordinator at 717-677-4184 or shap@embarqmail.com.

 Future dates for the Mid-Atlantic Convention in-person at the Hershey Lodge are as follows:

• January 30 to February 1, 2024
• January 28 to 30, 2025
• January 27 to 29, 2026