Join us at the 2025 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference

By Blake Jackson

The 2025 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference is scheduled for January 6-7, 2025, with pre-conference events on Sunday, January 5, at the Marriott Lexington Griffin Gate Golf Resort & Spa in Lexington, Kentucky. This premier event gathers approximately 600 growers, researchers, and technical support providers annually to discuss various aspects of fruit, vegetable, and cut flower production. The conference covers topics such as handling, harvesting, marketing, storage, and other relevant issues in the industry.

The conference begins with pre-conference events, including roundtable discussions where fruit and vegetable growers engage with university specialists. These sessions offer an opportunity to reflect on the previous production year, address challenges, and provide answers to participants' questions. The main conference features over 15 educational tracks with more than 70 speakers covering a range of topics. Additionally, the trade show will have over 65 vendors offering horticulture products and services.

Registration for attendees is now open, and both online and mail-in registration options are available. Early bird pricing ends on December 20, 2024, so participants are encouraged to register early. Hotel accommodations at the Marriott Lexington Griffin Gate Golf Resort & Spa are available at a special group rate of $119 per night, but reservations must be made by December 20, 2024.

Scholarships are available for beginning farmers attending the conference for the first time. These scholarships, offered on a first-come, first-served basis, cover conference registration fees but do not include hotel accommodations. Preference will be given to commercial farmers with less than 10 years of experience and those who have attended beginning farmer workshops. Farmers not qualifying for this scholarship can explore funding opportunities through the Kentucky State University’s Small-Scale Farm Grant Farmer Education Program.

Exhibitor and sponsorship registration is also open, with additional information available through the Kentucky Horticulture Council.

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