Grow beyond the unknown
Discover fresh ideas, practical solutions and new opportunities to thrive — no matter what comes next.
Written by Madi Schafer
With the opportunity to connect, innovate and grow your business, the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO and Greenhouse Growers EXPO is the premier agricultural trade show. Attendees can expect to connect with over 4,500 fruit, vegetable, farm market and greenhouse individuals and over 400 industry-leading companies. This year, the EXPO takes place Dec. 8-10 at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Hugh McPherson, maze master at Maize Quest, will give his keynote session, The Last Real Place. McPherson is a fifth-generation farmer at Maple Lawn Farms, growing cherries, blueberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins, lavender and sunflowers. McPherson also grows commercial corn and soybeans, plus operates a farm market, bakery and winery.
Pick-your-own is a key focus at Maple Lawn Farms, with its first corn maze debuting in 1997. With the idea to bring more guests to the apple orchard, the business grew exponentially, creating the opportunity for new attractions and helping other farms get their start in agritourism.
“Each event we create, attraction we invent and system we streamline, we offer to the industry to keep things moving forward for guests and revenue growing for our clients,” McPherson said.
As many growers know, the ag industry can be filled with unprecedented events — from farm pricing and farm production to geopolitics and more. During McPherson’s keynote, attendees will discover a new framework for processing their business and personal decisions — before using any digital tools.
“While you might leave motivated and hopeful, this is not a motivational speech,” McPherson said. “This is a pragmatic examination of how to function as an agribusiness in this moment in time.”
McPherson encourages growers to apply the adaptability used in the field to the challenges ahead.
“As growers, we are used to functioning in an environment filled with unknowns, and it is time to flex that adaptable mindset outside of our standard operating parameters,” McPherson said. “We can start now while others must learn the skills we already possess.”
The Last Real Place
Tuesday, Dec. 8
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.
NEW TO EXPO 2026:
$10 Thursday admission
Have you been wanting to attend the largest trade show focused on fruit and vegetable production? For the first time, the Great Lakes EXPO has introduced a $10 trade-show-only pass that will allow you to walk the aisles on Thursday, Dec. 10 from 8:00 a.m. -to 1:00 p.m.
Larger growers can bring employees on Thursday to walk the trade show floor and attend a Worker Protection Standard Training event that will run throughout the morning on the trade show stage. This training will fulfill a mandatory annual EPA requirement and cover your workers for the 2027 growing season. Sessions will be available in both Spanish and English.
Purchase a $10 Thursday trade show-only pass when you register, or at the door.
To register and learn more about this year’s show, visit glexpo.com