2021 Great Plains Growers Conference to be held online

Mid-Missouri farmer Liz Graznak is one of the keynote speakers for the 2021 Great Plains Growers Conference, which will be held online February 12-13.

Graznak, who owns and operates Happy Hollow Farm of Jamestown, sells produce through a 72-member community supported agriculture program and at the Columbia Farmers Market.

Kathi Mecham, a University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist and one of the conference organizers, says growers will receive tips on topics from brambles and Brussels sprouts to hydroponics, weed control and marketing strategies during a pandemic.

“We’re pleased to offer an outstanding lineup of speakers from across the Midwest with expertise on how to grow and market local foods,” said Mecham.

Sessions are 9 am to 3:30 pm. Graznak will deliver Friday’s keynote. Saturday’s keynote speaker is Vaughn Hammond of Vala’s Pumpkin Patch & Apple Orchard in Gretna, NE. A former extension educator, Hammond has experience managing hydroponic gardens and specialty crops, including sunflowers and squash.

Attendees can choose from several concurrent tracks, including marketing, tree fruits, small fruits, integrated pest management for vegetables, controlled-environment production and a North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Farmers Forum.

Register at GreatPlainsGrowersConference.org. For questions, contact Mecham at mechamk@missouri.edu.