Aug 17, 2015

Have You Been Back to School Recently? By Tim Hodson

It’s back to school time in the Chicagoland area. For the past week or so, as I have made my way to the office, I have seen kids of all ages s-l-o-w-l-y making their way to the bus stop every morning.

It seems like school starts earlier every year doesn’t it? But in reality, it is never too early to start learning – no matter how old the student is.

Have you or any of your production personnel gone back to school lately? If you answered that question with a “No” then you might want to consider enrolling today for one of the two Plant Health Management Conferences that GPN is offering in October.

The theme for both conferences is “The Next Chapter in Growing Healthier Plants” and they will take place Oct. 6, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Oct. 27, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

We’ve put together an all-star lineup of instructors for both conferences addressing such topics as disease identification, integrated pest management, water quality, and plant growth strategies for growing healthier and more profitable plants. Many of the sessions will be eligible for pesticide recertification credits.

Speaking in Grand Rapids and Springfield are GPN’s Consulting Editor Jim Barrett, Ph.D., University of Florida; Raymond Cloyd, Ph.D., Kansas State University; and Paul Pilon, Perennial Solutions.

Also presenting in Grand Rapids will be Ann Chase, Ph.D., Chase Agricultural Consulting; Roger C. Styer, Ph.D., Styer’s Horticultural Consulting; and Ronald Valentin, Syngenta Bioline. Rounding out the speaker roster at the Springfield conference is Paul Fisher from the University of Florida.

The early-bird registration fee is $89 before Sept. 28 for the Oct. 6 Grand Rapids conference and before Oct. 19 for the Oct. 27 Springfield conference. Fee includes the day-long conference, continental breakfast and lunch.

The Grand Rapids venue is Doubletree by Hilton Grand Rapids Airport. You can register at www.gpnmag.com/planthealthgr.

The Springfield conference will take place at the Springfield Marriott. Go to www.gpnmag.com/planthealthmass to register.

It’s back to school time for the kids, how about for you and your production team?

– Tim