Texas Fruit Conference Updates

2023 Texas Fruit Conference

Main Conference Educational Program 

Thinking Outside the Texas Fruit Box

Thursday, October 19th, Gillespie County AgriLife Extension Office

Texas leads the nation in population growth. Assuming no declines in the present per capita consumption of 113 pounds of fruit per person per year, total consumption of fruit by Texans will double from 3.1 Billion pounds  to 6.2 Billion pounds by the Year 2050!
Opportunities abound for marketing locally-grown fruit in the foreseeable future, but Texas is no easy place for fruit growing! Spring frost, insufficient chilling, drought, high heat, alkaline soils, saline irrigation water, insects, and diseases collectively create “boxes”–confinements on what, where, and how fruit can be grown in Texas.

For our 12th annual educational program, we’ve challenged ourselves to re-envision 12 important fruit crops for Texas.  Each presenter will review a crop’s history, status, limitations, traditional practices, and new horticultural approaches and technologies that could expand acreage and increase sustainability, profitability, and availability of fruit in the Lone Star State. This program offers something for anyone—novice or experienced fruit growers alike who want to think critically about the future of fruit growing in Texas. Cost: $75/Person or bundled with conference package (includes lunch).

 

 

Pesticide Continuing Education Units (CEU’s): 3 hours-general
Registration: https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/hort-ev-022
8:00 am Registration-Sign In Department of Horticultural Sciences Presenter
8:30 am Figs Mr. Jim Kamas, Associate Professor & Extension Specialist, Fredericksburg
9:00 am Peaches Dr. Tim Hartmann, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist, College Station
9:30 am Olives Mr. Stephen Janak, Extension Program Specialist-Hallettsville
10:00 am Break  
10:30 am Pears Dr. Amit Dhingra, Professor & Department Head, College Station
11:00 am Table Grapes Dr. Larry Stein, Regents Fellow, Associate Department Head, Professor & Extension Specialist, Uvalde
11:30 am Raspberries Ms. Jacy Lewis, Program Manager,  Fredericksburg
12:00 pm Lunch onsite-included in registration  
1:00 pm Strawberries Dr. Russ Wallace, Professor & Extension Specialist, Lubbock
1:30 pm Blueberries Dr. Monte Nesbitt, Assistant Professor & Extension Specialist, College Station
2:00 pm Break  
2:30 pm Apples Dhingra
3:00 pm Blackberries Janak
3:30 pm Apricots, Plums, other Stone Fruit Hartmann
4:00 pm Persimmons Kamas
4:30 pm Adjourn  

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