Indiana Vegetable and Fruit Grower’s Conference Set for Hendricks County on Jan. 14-15

If you’re a vegetable and fruit grower, crop consultant, or an aspiring producer, you’re invited to join Purdue Agriculture experts for two days of educational sessions and networking with fellow Indiana and Midwestern farmers and vendors at the annual Indiana Horticultural Conference and Expo (IHC) coming up Jan. 14-15 at the Hendricks County Fairgrounds in Danville.

Scheduled educational session topics will cover fruit and vegetable production, food safety, controlled environment agriculture, high tunnel production and pest management, and business marketing. IHC’s annual event will also include an apple cider contest to judge the best tasting cider.

Stephen Meyers, IHC co-chair and associate professor of weed science in the Purdue University College of Agriculture’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, said attendees can enjoy a diverse program with something for every vegetable and fruit grower or would-be grower.

In addition to educational sessions, the event will feature a trade show. Attendees will have opportunities to meet with vendors of seed, fertilizer, plant protectants and irrigation systems, as well as nonprofit organizations that support soil health and food distribution.

“The historical core mission of this conference is to bring fruit and vegetable growers, researchers, extensionists, and allied industry members from all different parts of the state together to learn in a spirit of fellowship and improve the lives and livelihoods of Hoosier farmers,” Meyers said. “We look forward to this event every year, and 2025 is no exception.”

Credits will be available for private pesticide applicators, commercial pesticide applicators and certified crop advisors. Certified private pesticide applicators can attend recertification sessions for an additional $10 on-site fee. Participants will need a private applicator license number to receive recertification credit.

Sponsorship opportunities are available at https://www.indianahortconference.org/sponsorship/.

Registration is open online through Jan. 7. Attendees may register for either day or both, and the registration fee includes lunch, coffee and dessert breaks. The Hendricks County Fairgrounds are located at 1900 E. Main St., Danville. More information, including the link to register and the registration fee, can be found at https://indianahortconference.org/.

For more information, contact Lori Jolly-Brown, Extension events and communications coordinator for Purdue’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, at 765-494-1296 or [email protected].

Written by: Olivia DeYoung, Purdue Agricultural Communications