By Clint Thompson
Alabama fruit and vegetable farmers and industry leaders can mark their calendars for next year’s Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (AFVGA) annual conference and trade show, scheduled for Feb. 3-5, 2027, in Gulf Shores, Alabama.
AFVGA Executive Director Blake Thaxton discussed the event, slated for The Lodge at Gulf State Park.
“It’s become the home for the conference. Folks like going there. We’re keeping with our football theme. This year will be ‘Built for the Challenge.’ And we’re basically going to be pushing the idea that agriculture is challenging right now. There’s a lot of things up against us,” Thaxton said. “But the good part is we’ve got people in this industry who are up to that challenge. That’s going to be our theme, is supporting our farmers in a way that they can be successful even in challenging times.”
Registration for the event will open on Nov. 1 at afvga.org.
“We have settled in nicely, and we’re going to continue a lot of the same themes and events,” Thaxton said. “We’ve had our networking party on Thursday night and we’ll continue with a tailgate theme this year that people always enjoy. That’s where we have our ticket auction to benefit the Jimmy Witt Memorial Scholarship. It’s been very successful.
“I think we’ve gotten to a point where our members just love getting together down there. I think they want to get together, enjoy each other and learn from each other. And we want to provide a space for that.”