Great Lakes Expo 2026 - Agenda

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Tuesday, December 8, 2026
8:30 AM - 9:20 AMDon’t Let those Pesky Pathogens Get the Best of You
8:30 AM - 9:20 AMIt's All About the Experience: Garden Center Success Stories
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMSmall-Scale Berries 1
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMOn-farm Produce Safety 1
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMFarm Market Roundtable
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMMDARD Certification and Training Update
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMHard Cider
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMChestnuts 1
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMMichigan Farmland Outlook, and Specialty Crop Cost of Production Update
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMAdvanced Irrigation Management Techniques
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMAgrAbility
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMPickles/ Vine Crops 1
10:30 AM - 11:20 AMWhat’s New at MSU? A Research Update
10:30 AM - 11:20 AMWhere Two Rivers Meet: Integrating Biopesticides & BCAs with Conventional Crop Protection
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMAI on the Farm
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMRoot Crops
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMPickles/ Vine Crops 2
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMYour Farm, Your Questions: MDARD Programs, Services, and Support
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMReal Problems, Honest Talk: Support for Emerging Farmers
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMSweet Cider
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMSmall-Scale Berries 2
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMGetting Started with Irrigation
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMChestnuts 2
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMFarm Market Keynote- The Last Real Place
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMNatural Pest Management for Small and Urban Farms
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMOn-farm Produce Safety 2
12:00 PM - 1:00 PMWater Districts – Building Communities of Good Water Stewards
1:00 PM - 2:00 PMProduce Safety Technology and Mobile Water Testing Lab
1:00 PM - 2:00 PMLavender 1
1:30 PM - 2:20 PMThe Biology Behind Bioinsecticides: Understanding How and Why They Work
1:30 PM - 2:20 PMCrafting a Merchandising Plan in 7 Steps
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMStronger Together: Collective Advantage of Aggregation and Wholesale Partnerships with Other Small Farms
2:00 PM - 3:00 PMHarvesting Energy Savings: Real-World Solar for Greenhouses, Cold Storage and Specialty-Crop Operations
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMAsparagus
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMLavender 2
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMSuccession Planning
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMSweet Corn
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMTarping and No-Till for Organic Vegetables
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMPotato
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMGrape
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMApple 1
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMSoil Health and Cover Cropping
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMFarm Market General Session 1
2:40 PM - 3:30 PMFrom Production Problems to Performance: Lessons from 2026, Solutions for 2027
2:40 PM - 3:30 PMHot or Not? Point of Sale System Panel
3:00 PM - 4:00 PMGetting the Most Out of Your High Tunnel
4:00 PMApple Variety Showcase
4:30 PM - 5:30 PMGreat American Media Presents the 2026 Fruit and Vegetable 40 Under 40 Awards
Wednesday, December 9, 2026
8:30 AM - 9:20 AMUsing Off-the-Shelf LEDs for Cut Flower Plug Production
8:30 AM - 9:20 AMWhy Consider Delivering Silicon to Floriculture Crops?
8:30 AM - 9:20 AMBiofungicides in Greenhouse Disease Management: How They Work and Where They Fit
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMCherry 1
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMFarming with Children and Community
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMLegumes
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMGarlic
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMBlueberry 1
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMPeach/Plum 1
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMFarm Market General Session 2
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMThe Digital Farm: Using Technology to Map, Model, and Implement Regenerative Practices
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMRisk Management and Contingency Planning
8:30 AM - 9:30 AMLabor 1: US and Michigan Employment Regulatory and Legislative Context
10:30 AM - 11:00 AMCherry 2
10:30 AM - 11:20 AMBlooming Knowledge: Growing and Selling Edible Flowers
10:30 AM - 11:20 AMClean & Rooted: Pre-Plant Submersion Strategies for Pest Prevention and Propagation Success
10:30 AM - 11:20 AMCrop Management in Peat-Reduced Substrates
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMLabor 2: H2A Program Implementation
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMGrowing Forward: Lessons in Innovation, Agritourism & Farm Succession from Joyer Adventure Farm
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMSetting Goals and Making a Plan for Your Farm
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMIntegrating Health Insurance into Your Farm Plan
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMKeynote: Healthy Soil, Healthy Margins: The Business Case for Regenerative Farming
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMPeach/Plum 2
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMPlanning for Farmagedon! Anticipating Shocks to Your Small Farm System
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMBlueberry 2
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMBrassicas
10:30 AM - 11:30 AMCelery
12:00 PM - 1:00 PMFieldWatch Registries – FREE Insurance Against Off-Target Pesticide Damage
1:00 PM - 2:00 PMMarketing Specialty Crops: Produce Shows, Direct Marketing, and More
1:00 PM - 5:00 PMCider Contest
1:30 PM - 2:20 PMDiagnosing Nutrient Disorders
1:30 PM - 3:00 PMStand-Out Cultivars from the 2026 Michigan Garden Plant Tour
2:00 PM - 2:50 PMBeyond the Border: Shrubs as Cut Flowers
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMBulletins Live! Two and Pesticide Safety Education
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMOnions
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMSpecialty Fruits and Nuts to Distinguish Your Farm
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMApple 2
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMMeet The Buyers - Individual Buyer Meetings (pre-register)
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMBlueberry 3
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMMichigan Agritourism Association Session
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMTomatoes/Peppers/Eggplants
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMFood Processing
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMChoosing the Right Accounting Software for your Farm Business
2:00 PM - 4:00 PMLabor 3: Workplace Management
2:40 PM - 3:30 PMWhat’s New and Next in Growing Media for Greenhouse Production?
3:00 PM - 3:50 PMFlowers in the City: Growing and Running an Urban Flower Farm
4:00 PM - 5:30 PMMeet the Buyers - Open Meetings
Thursday, December 10, 2026
8:00 AM - 1:00 PMSpanish Pesticide Review
8:00 AM - 1:00 PMEnglish Pesticide Review
8:30 AM - 1:30 PM2027 Specialty Crop Technology Cohort and Trials
9:00 AM - 11:00 AMFarm Market Mushroom Production Workshop 101 (add-on workshop registraiton fee)
9:00 AM - 11:00 AMFarm Market Workshop - Creating Winter Magic On the Farm
9:00 AM - 11:00 AMLocal Food Marketing 101: Understand Local Market Channels and Sales Options
9:00 AM - 11:00 AMFarm Market Workshop - Farm Camps
9:00 AM - 1:00 PMWorker Protection Standard Training
1:00 PM - 3:00 PMMDARD RUP Exam- English and Spanish (must pre-register)
1:00 PM - 3:00 PMLocal Food Marketing 201