Food is an essential element for living and can come in many shapes and forms as unhealthy versions or as fresh , locally grown produce . The Mid-Ohio Growers meeting will be held at the Mt . Hope Event Center and focus on the latter of the two .

The two-day event , geared toward providing educational information on growing and marketing fruits , vegetables and flowers for the small growers , will be held for the 13th time on Thursday and Friday , Jan . 9-10 . The twoday meeting is designed for the grower looking to get started and or gain knowledge from producers / growers who are leading the way with innovations and ideas in their field of expertise .

This year ’ s event will have more than 35 sessions featuring speakers from around the nation covering topics ranging from growing fruits and vegetables , bees , and soil health . There will be simultaneous presentations in three rooms , designed for people of differing interests .

New this year will be five 2-hour sessions that will take a more in-depth look at the topic on the agenda . The Q-and-A sessions also will be back this year , and in a new twist , there will be a Q-and-A panel session held Jan . 9 at 5:15 p . m . Attendees will be able to drop questions

anonymously at designated areas throughout the day and have them answered by the panel of experts .

The morning of Jan . 9 will feature Chuck Schumbrie on minerals and biologicals in soil health . Schumbrie , a regenerative crop consultant for Understanding Kg and a soil health educator for the Soil Health Academy , also will participate in a Q-and-A session .

In another session Henry Detwiler from Detwiler ’ s Farm Market in Sarasota , Florida will speak on how his business implemented its current culture at its markets . Detwiler is CEO and partner of the multi-generational family business and said the phrase “ Eat Fresh for Less ” is not a slogan but the way Detwiler ’ s does business . Detwiler ’ s Farm Market , which focuses on produce , started a 10-by-20-foot tent at Sutter Egg Farm the Company , expanded multiple times , and now features multiple locations and a distribution warehouse .

Karl Gercens will headline one of seven sessions dedicated to floriculture and will present Creating Flower Combos for all Seasons . Gercens ’ resume includes Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania , Filoli Estate in Woodside , California and Walt Disney World in Orlando , Florida .

On Friday Peter Durgin

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The Mid-Ohio Growers meeting , a two-day event geared toward providing educational information on growing and marketing fruits , vegetables and flowers for the small growers , will be held Jan . 9-10 at the Mt . Hope Event Center .

from Durgin Orchard will bring forth the knowledge he acquired growing up in the family business . A second-generation fruit grower and farmer with his father in Smithsburg , Maryland , Durgin ’ s primary crops include apples , peaches , plums and sweet cherries . He implemented IPM practices such as mating disruption into his operation in 2022 . Durgin will present Growing and Marketing Fresh Fruit in his first session and then Orchard Growing and Marketing for the Next Generation .

The trade show with its 100-plus vendors will provide attendees the opportunity to explore the latest

ideas and innovations in the horticulture world , and Mrs . Yoder ’ s will provide a healthy buffet lunch both days . Thursday evening will feature refreshments ,

• Landscaping Pavers

• Concrete Blocks

• Old Concrete

• Sandstone

• Old Silos

with the vendors giving attendees the opportunity to network with fellow growers .

The event will culminate Friday at 2 p . m . with a

BEFORE

drawing for a 20-by-48- foot greenhouse . All paid attendees will automatically be entered for the drawing .

The Mid-Ohio Growers meeting is open to the public , and no membership is required . Admission is $ 45 at the door or preregister by Dec . 14 for $ 40 . One admission covers both days and includes the buffet . Attendees age 14 and under are free .

Doors will open at 7 a . m ., and the trade show will open at 8 a . m . Mt . Hope Event Center is located at 8076 state Route 241 in Mt . Hope .

To preregister , send name and address and $ 40 per attendee by Dec . 14 to Mid-Ohio Growers Meeting , P . O . Box 111 , Mt . Hope , OH 44660 . Call 330-275-7566 for more information or email midohiogrowersmtg @ gmail . com .

AFTER

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