By Clint Thompson
North Florida watermelon growers should mark their calendars for Thursday, Dec. 4 for the annual Suwanee Valley Watermelon Institute.
Bob Hochmuth, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Regional Specialized Extension agent in Live Oak, Florida, talked about the upcoming meeting, scheduled to take place in Fanning Springs, Florida.
“The first Thursday in December we’ll be down in Fanning Springs for the Suwanee Valley Watermelon Institute. We always look forward to having a big crowd there, both representations from the growers and from the industry,” Hochmuth said. “We’ll have a lot of good speaker topics. Some of it will focus on the economic piece of things. The market last year was not great. Some of the topics will be looking at ways to be efficient in cost spending this coming season. We look forward to another big group.”
The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It will include educational sessions and research updates, along with pesticide applicator CEUs and industry exhibits.
The Suwanee Valley Watermelon Institute is free to attendees. It will be located at the Suwanee River Fair Facility in Fanning Springs, Florida.