Hundreds of fruit growers will gather online for an exciting series of eight interactive sessions with some of North America’s leading fruit growers, breeders, and soil experts.
The NAFEX 2024 Virtual Conference features three days of inspiring and informative online sessions, Nov. 7-9, via ZOOM and by phone.
Keynote Address
Author of “The Ecological Farm” Helen Atthowe delivers the closing keynote address. See the complete schedule, topics and speakers below.
Annual Meeting & Member Show and Tell
The conference includes the 2024 NAFEX Annual Meeting and Member Show and Tell on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Watch the Recorded Sessions
All sessions are recorded. Real time participants have the opportunity to ask questions, engage with our speakers, and share information with fellow fruit growers. There will be a Q&A after each presentation.
Free with Your $19 NAFEX Membership
Access to conference is included with your $19 NAFEX membership. Join or renew today.
Current Members: Access to webinar recordings and downloadable resources is FREE for all NAFEX members in good standing. Members automatically received daily emails with session links and call-in numbers. No registration is needed.
Non-members: Membership is only $19 and you’ll receive full access to conference, plus full member benefits for one year!
Generously Sponsored by:
Conference Schedule
THURSDAY, NOV. 7
(Two Sessions)
SESSION 1
1 pm PST / 4 pm EST
Outside the Cider Apple Box
Blending traditional cider apples with wild apples to produce ciders with a tremendous amount of complexity and richness.
SESSION 2
3:30 pm PST / 6:30 pm EST
No Land, No Problem. Growing with minimal space
Oblique cordon, espalier, European-style, figs, and backyard growing
Speaker:
Lee Reich
FRIDAY (morning), NOV. 8
(Two Sessions)
SESSION 1
8 am PST / 11 am EST
Old Southern Apples & New Opportunities
Farm legacy, fruits for changing climate; preservation projects info and future interest groups for preservation & NAFEX trials
Speaker:
Jason Bowen, Home Creek Historic Farm
SESSION 2
10:30 am PST / 1:30 pm EST
Project Pawpaw
Project Pawpaw: research and breeding for pawpaws.
Speaker:
Adam D’Angelo
FRIDAY (afternoon), NOV. 10
(Two Sessions)
SESSION 3
1 pm PST / 4 pm EST
Vitis Vinifera and Muscadines: Grape Breeders seek the best of both grapes
University of Arkansas’ program to breed crosses of Vitis vinifera with Muscadinia to produce grapes with excellent flavor and disease resistance.
Speakers:
Margaret Worthington
Renee Threlfall
SESSION 4
3:30 pm PST / 6:30 pm EST
NAFEX Annual general meeting and Member Show & Tell
Join us as we take a brief look back at 2023, look ahead to 2024, and review our Board of Directors candidates. Bring your stories about fruit growing for the always-fun member Show and Tell. The Show and Tell will emphasize discovering or breeding fruit but all stories are welcome – as are new members.
Moderator:
Kris Klueg Heeter, NAFEX President
SATURDAY, NOV. 9
(Two Sessions)
SESSION 1
10:30 am PST / 1:30 pm EST
Biological Tools an Overview of IPM for Fruit Production
Alison will take a Birds Eye look at some of the innovative IPM (Integrated Pest Management) angles that growers of Blueberries, Apples, Hazelnuts, Wine Grapes and more have embraced over the last few years. From building soil with compost teas, to tackling disease and pests with microbial tools, growers have found the need to reach for new ideas. While research does its best to follow the industry lead of production growers, it’s really the farmer (and their challenges) that are willing to lead the brigade and do things differently. Where do these worlds intersect? This presentation will give examples of the use of beneficial insects with novel drone deployment over orchards, vineyards, almonds and strawberries, and share some ideas from the biological realm that will stimulate your own on-farm brainstorming.
Speaker:
Alison Kutz
SESSION 2
1 pm PST / 4 pm EST
The Ecological Orchard: A No-Till, No-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System for Organic Orchards
This session will cover Helen’s no-till, no-spray, selective-weeding, grow-your-own-fertilizer system for organic orchards that was developed & refined over 35 years while owning & operating (and co-operating with her late husband) on 3 certified organic orchards and vegetable farms ranging from 30-211 acres, spanning 3 states. You won’t want to miss this talk.
Speaker:
Helen Atthowe
Moderator:
Matt Stevens, NAFEX Programs Co-Chair
Conference Details
Session Times
Thursday, Nov. 7 (2 sessions) – 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Eastern
Friday, Nov 8 (4 sessions) – 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m. Eastern
Saturday, Nov. 9 (2 sessions) – 1:30 p.m., 4 p.m. Eastern
All sessions are 90 minutes in length including participant questions and answers.
Audience Participation
Participants will be able to submit questions via the ZOOM chat during Q&A at the end of the seven speaker sessions.
Notifications and Conference Links
NAFEX members in good standing will be emailed the conference ZOOM links daily. Please check your spam folder if you did not see the email in your inbox or email us at admin@nafexmembers.org
ZOOM Information
New to ZOOM? It’s easy to set up your own free account and access the conference from your phone, computer or tablet. Here’s a link to ZOOM’s how-to guide.
Session Recordings
All sessions will recorded and made available to NAFEX members for viewing after the conference.
Conference Culture
NAFEX is committed to creating a conference culture of reciprocal learning that is non-judgemental and engaging of all people. We request that all participants respect themselves and one another, honor different views and opinions, and create a welcoming environment for learning and sharing.
Questions?
Please email questions to admin@nafexmembers.org. Please allow 1-2 days for a reply as all of our conference organizers are volunteers as well as busy fruit growers.
About our Sponsors
Trailblazer Sponsor
One Green World is a family-owned retail and mail order nursery located in Portland, Oregon that specializes in fruiting trees and shrubs from all over the world that are well adapted to the Pacific Northwest. In addition to the many fruiting trees and shrubs they grow, they also stock a large number of climate-adapted Mediterranean plants, perennial vegetables, and orchard companion plants.
Discoverer Sponsors
CopenHaven Farms has been growing high-quality rootstock and seedlings for fruit trees on their family farm in Gaston, Oregon since 1982. CopenHaven is located in Oregon’s fertile Willamette Valley, halfway between the city of Portland and the Pacific Ocean, where their plants benefit from a climate ideally suited to growing rootstock. In addition to great natural resources, their knowledgeable and hardworking team ensures their plants are healthy and their customers happy every step of the way. Their rootstock are certified virus-free through the Oregon Department of Agriculture.