Specialty Crop Symposium
- This event has passed.
September 25, 2024 @ 8:30 am – 4:30 pm EDT
$60
PLEASE NOTE: This event has been rescheduled for March, 2025. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please stay tuned for more details.
Rodale Institute invites growers, researchers, students, and industry professionals to join us for a day-long Specialty Crop Symposium, featuring presentations on organic specialty crop production in a variety of agroecosystems in the Northeast region of the United States.
The program will include tours of Rodale’s research projects, presentations by leading speakers on topics such as saffron, CBD, fiber hemp, agroforestry, and more. The day will end with a Q+A with presenters.
Lunch is included and will feature vegan, gluten-free and omnivore options.
Schedule of Events
8:30 am – 9:00 am – Registration
9:00 am – 9:15 am – Welcome & Opening Remarks: Ashley Walsh and Dr. Andrew Smith
9:15 am – 9:45 am – Keynote Speaker: Dr. Gladis Zinati – Specialty crops/nutrition
9:45am – 10:35am – Presenter: Drs. Arash Ghalehgolabbehbahani & Bharat Sharma Acharya – Saffron
10:35 am – 11:00 am – Presenter: Dr. Leigh Archer – Agroforestry
11:00 am – 12:00 pm – Field Tour/Demonstration
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – Lunch
1:00 pm – 1:25 pm – Presenter: Dr. Wade Heller – AMF
1:25 pm – 1:50 pm – Presenter: Dr. Dinesh Panday – CBD hemp
1:50 pm – 2:10pm – Breakout session
2:10pm – 2:35 pm – Presenter: Ms. Tara Caton – Fiber hemp
2:35 pm – 2:50 pm – BREAK
2:50pm – 3:30pm – Presenter(s): Drs. Bruce L. Parker, Richard Bamford & Somaiyeh G. Dizaji – UV-light in Integrated Pest Management
3:30pm – 4:30 pm – ‘Ask an Expert’ Session
‘Ask an Expert’
Moderator: Dr. Leigh Archer
Experts: (1) Dr. Saurav Das, soil health, (2) Romans Caetani, field vegetable production, (3) Brandon Wehr, farm operation/equipment, (4) Sage Dennis, organic certification/consultation, (5) Drew Oberholtzer, industrial hemp (company).