Sustainable Ag Expo Educates Growers and Farmers Cross-industry sustainable farming conference returns for 11th year

November 3, 2015 (Paso Robles, Calif.) – The 11th Annual Sustainable Ag Expo will take place November 16-17, 2015, at the Madonna Inn Expo Center in San Luis Obispo, California. (www.SustainableAgExpo.org)

Presented by the Vineyard Team, the Sustainable Ag Expo offers sustainable farming education for growers and farmers across crop types. “The Expo started as a way to explore various issues affecting different types of ag professionals,” said Kris Beal, Executive Director for The Vineyard Team. “It is a chance for farmers and researchers to come together, learn from each other, and engage in conversations with some of the brightest in the industry. Not only do we address production practices, we’re exploring initiatives from buyers like Campbell and Cisco that are influencing behavior."

The Sustainable Ag Expo launched in 2004 when the Vineyard Team, actively conducting progressive research and education in vineyards, recognized that other crop industries (e.g. orchards, row crops, berries, and rangeland) engaged in forward-thinking and innovative work from which fellow farmers could learn. To that end, the Sustainable Ag Expo was developed to share information across crop types on important topics such as energy and water conservation, holistic management, integrated pest management and soil management.

Sessions include challenges facing California agriculture, management of invasive insect pests, floor management in perennial and annual cropping systems, the importance of bees to California agriculture, sustainable fertility management, disease and virus management in vineyards, irrigation during the drought, sustainability initiatives in the agri-food supply chain and how to improve practices and performance. Lastly, a law and regulations session will be held to conclude the event.

With 40 speakers, session highlights include focusing on water availability and quality; access to affordable labor; and new federal air quality standards that may have significant impacts on farming operations in the future presented by Dr. Jay Lund, Director for the Center for Watershed Science and Professor at UC Davis, Bryan Little, Director Employment Policy, California Farm Bureau Federation and Nancy Levin, Air Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9.  Additionally, Dr. Michelle Moyer, Washington State University, will present new research on powdery mildew monitoring, detection and management along with Dr. Renaud Travadon of UC Davis and Larry Bettiga, University of California Viticulture Farm Advisor.

The Vineyard Team is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote sustainable vineyard practices such as water conservation, integrated pest management, habitat diversity, and protection of water quality and human resources. Established in the mid-1990s when the term “sustainable” was far less mainstream than it is today, the Vineyard Team has enjoyed an impressive track record, earning awards and recognition from a broad variety of entities including the Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Pesticide Regulation.

To learn more about the Sustainable Ag Expo, register for the event, or explore exhibitors and sponsors, please visit www.SustainableAgExpo.org.

Visit www.VineyardTeam.org to learn more about the Vineyard Team and its SIP™ (Sustainability in Practice) Certification Program. The Vineyard Team can be reached at 805.466.2288.