Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host the Texas New Fruit Growers Conference Oct. 17-18 in Fredericksburg.


The two-day event will be held at the Gillespie County AgriLife Extension office at 38 Business Court from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the first day and 8 a.m. to noon on the second day.
Participation is $160 and registration is available through October 10 at https://tx.ag/TxFruitGrowers or by calling 979-803-1372.
Earn three Texas Department of Agriculture Pesticide Licensing Continuing Education Credits (two general and one integrated pest management).
About the meeting
The program is designed to teach new and prospective growers the fundamentals of starting and managing a perennial fruit production business.
Texas is a unique and rewarding place to grow fruit trees, and AgriLife Extension experts will guide participants through the basics of evaluating sites and resources for a new orchard or vineyard operation.
Participants will receive classroom instruction and visit existing commercial orchards.
Conference Topics and Events
Evaluating Location and Resources for a New Orchard, Jim Camus, AgriLife Extension fruit specialist and associate professor in the Department of Horticultural Science, Fredericksburg. Establishing an Orchard, Dr. Larry Stein, AgriLife Extension horticulture specialist and professor in the Department of Horticultural Science, Uvalde. Budgeting Time Resources – What it Takes to Establish and Maintain an Orchard, Jaycee Lewis, manager of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Viticulture and Fruit Laboratory in Fredericksburg. The laboratory is part of the Department of Horticultural Science. Disease and Insect Threats to Successful Fruit Production, Dr. Monte Nesbitt, AgriLife Extension horticulture specialist and associate professor in the Department of Horticultural Science, Bryan-College Station. Integrated Pest Management Fundamentals for the New Fruit Grower, Dr. Kyle Thrasher, AgriLife Extension pecan, viticulture and fruit entomologist and assistant professor in the Department of Entomology, Stephenville. Deciding What Crops to Grow: Key Production and Marketing Considerations, with Tim Hartman, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension horticulture specialist and assistant professor in the Bryan-College Station Department of Horticultural Sciences. Tree-to-table networking luncheon. Live action lab with demonstrations on how to plant, nurture and prune trees and vines, irrigate, apply fertilizer, operate sprayers and control weeds for orchard establishment. Fast-forward orchard tour. Learn what others have done to establish and grow fruit-centric businesses in the Texas Hill Country.
Please contact Nesbitt for more information. (email address protected).